Bora. Elephant grass, Indian reed-mace.
Typha elephantina
Family: Typhaceae
What it is like
Typha elephantina is an evergreen Perennial growing to 3 m (9ft) by 0.2 m (0ft 8in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid, very alkaline and saline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil and can grow in water.
Height (m): 3
Where it is found
A tropical plant. Riverside thickets. Swamps and riversides. It grows on the Deccan in India. It grows on the edge of water. It grows in the Sahara and the Sahel. It can grow in salty soils. It can grow in arid places.
Asia - Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China (Yunnan), Myanmar; Africa - Algeria to Egypt, Niger, Chad, Ethiopia
Conservation Status: Status: Least Concern
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Algeria, Asia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Central Africa, Chad, China, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Israel, Mali, Mauritania, Mediterranean, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, North Africa, Northeastern India, Pakistan, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Spain, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, West Africa, Yemen
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Edible Portion: Rhizome, Leaves, Flowers, Pollen, Stems, Roots, Vegetable. This species has the same properties as other Typha species, but it is particularly suitable for exploitation owing to its enormous size. The report does not give any other information, but the general uses of other large Typha species are as follows: Rhizomes - raw or cooked. A sweet flavour. Rich in starch, around 30 - 46%, they can be boiled and eaten like potatoes or macerated and then boiled to yield a sweet syrup. The rhizome can also be dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereal flours. Rich in protein, this flour is used to make biscuits, bread, cakes etc. The rhizomes at the base of erect shoots are mostly horizontal, unbranched, up to 70 cm long and 5 - 40mm in diameter. They are starchy, firm and scaly. The root contains a lot of fibre. One way to remove this fibre is to peel lengths of the root that are about 20 - 25cm long, place them by a fire for a short while to dry and then twist and loosen the fibres when the starch of the root can be shaken out. Young shoots in spring - raw or cooked. An asparagus substitute. The inner core is eaten. The young shoots are cut from the underground stems in the spring when they are about 10 - 40cm long. Base of mature stem - raw or cooked. It is best to remove the outer part of the stem. The base of the stem where it attaches to the rhizome can be boiled or roasted like potatoes. Young flowering stem - raw, cooked or made into a soup. Tastes like sweet corn. Seed - cooked. The seed is rather small and fiddly to utilize, but has a pleasant nutty taste when roasted. An edible oil is obtained from the seed. The seeds contain about 18 - 20% oil, of which 69% is linolenic acid. Due to the small size of the seed this is probably not a very worthwhile crop. Pollen - raw or cooked. A protein rich additive to flour used in making bread, porridge etc. It can also be eaten with the young flowers, which makes it considerably easier to utilize. The pollen is a bright yellow or green colour, and turns pancakes, cookies or biscuits a pretty yellow colour. The pollen can be harvested by placing the flowering stem over a wide but shallow container and then gently tapping the stem and brushing the pollen off with a fine brush. This will help to pollinate the plant and thereby ensure that both pollen and seeds can be harvested.
Oil: Oil
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.
Medicine
Rating: 3
This species has the same properties as other Typha species, but it is particularly suitable for exploitation owing to its enormous size. The report does not give any other information, but the general uses of other large Typha species are as follows: The leaves are diuretic. The pollen is astringent, desiccant, diuretic, haemostatic and vulnerary. It is used in the treatment of nose bleeds, haematemesis, haematuria, uterine bleeding, dysmenorrhoea, postpartum abdominal pain and gastralgia, scrofula and abscesses. It is contraindicated for pregnant women. The seed down is haemostatic. The rootstock is astringent and diuretic.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Haemostatic: Controls internal bleeding.
Vulnerary: Promotes the healing of wounds.
Other
Rating: 3
Agroforestry Uses: The plant's extensive root system makes it very good for stabilizing wet banks of rivers, lakes etc. It can be grown in water purification systems in order to remove various kinds of pollutants from the water and soil. The top growth is removed once or twice during the growing season - it can either be used as a fuel or the materials recovered from it. Other Uses: This species has the same properties as other Typha species, but it is particularly suitable for exploitation owing to its enormous size. The report does not give any other information, but the general uses of other large Typha species are as follows: The stems and leaves have many uses, they make a good thatch, being used on roofs, to make walls and floor coverings. They can be used in weaving to make items such as mats, chairs, hats and other handicrafts. They can be used as a caulking material for barrels, boats etc. A fibre obtained from the leaves and stems can be used in making paper. A fibre obtained from the roots can be used for making string. The plant produces large amounts of biomass, comparable to the most productive agricultural crops.This is a potential source of energy - it can, for example, be used for alcohol manufacture. On a domestic level, the stems make an excellent addition to the compost heap or can be dried and used as a source of fuel etc. The hairs of the fruits are used as a stuffing material for pillows, mattresses, toys etc. They have good buoyancy properties and have been used in life preservers. They also have excellent insulation properties and have been used in construction. The female flowers make an excellent tinder and can be lit from the spark of a flint. The pollen is highly inflammable and is used in making fireworks.
Biomass: Provides a large quantity of plant material that can be converted into fuel etc.
Compost: Plants used for activating compost heaps, providing biomass for composting, using as instant compost etc.
Fibre: Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.
Filter: Used to strain out particles from liquids.
Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.
Insulation: Providing insulation against extremes of temperature, sound or electricity.
Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.
Paper: Related to the entry for Fibre, these plants have been specifically mentioned for paper making.
Roofing: Used to give a waterproof roof to buildings. See also Thatching.
Soil stabilization: Plants that can be grown in places such as sand dunes in order to prevent erosion by wind, water or other agents.
String: Plants that can be used for string or can be easily made into a string. See also Fibre. Plants for ropes may be included.
Stuffing: Used in making soft toys, mattresses, pillows etc.
Thatching: Used for making thatched roofs.
Tinder: Used for starting fires. See also Kindling.
Waterproofing: Does what it says. See also Pitch and Oil.
Weaving: Items such as grass and palm leaves that are woven together for making mats, baskets etc. See also Basket making and Fibre.
Industrial Crop: Biomass: Three broad categories: bamboos, resprouting woody plants, and giant grasses. uses include: protein, materials (paper, building materials, fibers, biochar etc.), chemicals (biobased chemicals), energy - biofuels
Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!
Management: Hay: Cut to the ground and harvested annually. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.
Industrial Crop: Biomass: Three broad categories: bamboos, resprouting woody plants, and giant grasses. uses include: protein, materials (paper, building materials, fibers, biochar etc.), chemicals (biobased chemicals), energy - biofuels
Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!
Management: Hay: Cut to the ground and harvested annually. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.
Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
How it is grown
Climate: subtropical to tropical. Humity: aquatic. Succeeds in sun or part shade. Grows in boggy pond margins or shallow water to 15cm deep. Requires a rich wet soil if it is to well. Tolerates moderate levels of salt. Prefers a pH in the range 6.5 - 7.5, tolerating 6 - 8. The rhizomes of the vigorous species of Typha contain around 30% - 46% starch. The core of these rhizomes can be ground into a flour. One hectare of plants would yield about 7 tonnes of flour per year. This flour would probably contain about 80 % carbohydrates and around 6% - 8% protein. Since these species occur around the world, the plants are a potential source of food for the world's population. Seedlings rapidly form clones by means of rhizomes in their first season, flower the second season, and often form very large, persistent, often monospecific stands. Unless restrained by some means, such as a large bottomless container, the plant will soon completely take over a site and will grow into the pond, gradually filling it in. It will often form an almost complete monoculture in boggy soil. The dense growth provides excellent cover for water fowl. Carbon Farming - Cultivation: regional crop. Management: hay.
Propagating it: Seed - surface sow in a pot and stand it in 3cm of water. Pot up the young seedlings as soon as possible and, as the plants develop, increase the depth of water. Plant out in summer. Division in spring. Very easy, harvest the young shoots when they are about 10 - 30cm tall, making sure there is at least some root attached, and plant them out into their permanent positions.
Best place to grow:
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 10-12
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist, wet, water
Things to keep in mind
Its other names
Local names
Anaikkorai, Anaippul, Apu, Berdi, Boj, Bora, Bori, Chamba, Dib, Eenugajammu, Eraka, Ghabajarin, Gond, Googol bon, Gundra, Hagla, Hogla, Jambuhallu, Kundar, Lukh, Mothitrina, Patira, Pitz, Pun, Rambdna, Sako, Shin-mwe-lon, Yira.
Synonyms
Typha elephantina var. schimperi (Rohrb.) Graebn.;Typha angustifolia Watt. non Linn.;Typha maresii Batt.;Typha schimperi Rohrb.;