Flat sedge, Basket grass,
Cyperus textilis

Family: Cyperaceae

What it is like

Cyperus textilis is an evergreen Perennial growing to 1.5 m (5ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil and can grow in water. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.

Height (m): 1.5

Where it is found

Along the coast in wet places or in still or flowing shallow water along streams and rivers, 5-1,680m.; Perennial Helophyte.

South Africa - Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape

Conservation Status: Status: Least Concern

Countries/locations it is found in

South Africa - Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 4

Cyperus textilis is an important material for the weaving of mats, basketry and ropemaking. It is a traditional building material for peoples of southern Africa, particularly the Khoi who primarily use the plant to weave mats as a hut covering, bound in place by twine made from the same plant. The rope is also used to bind thatch (South African National Biodiversity Insitute 2008). Reed beds with Cyperus textilis and similar plants (reeds, bulrushes and sedges) are used worldwide to clean polluted water. The plants take up the excess nitrogen and phosphates from treated sewage, and have also proved effective in removing heavy metals and phenolic compounds from waste water. Carbon Farming Solutions - Industrial Crop: biomass. (Crops grown for non-food uses. Industrial crops provide resources in three main categories: materials, chemicals, and energy. Traditional materials include lumber and thatch, paper and cardboard, and textiles).

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

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

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.

How it is grown

Climate: Mediterranean, warm temperate. Humidity: aquatic. Plant in sun or semi-shade. In bright sun the clumps will be more compact and the stems more closely packed, whereas in the shade the plants will grow taller with fewer stems giving a more graceful effect. Grows in any good soil. Can grow in shallow water, waterlogged soil and moist soil. Can be grown in containers or water features. Good for heavy clay soils. A tender perennial, surviving with minimum is -7ºC / 30ºF (USDA zone 9). Frost kills the foliage but the plant will resprout in spring provided the roots were not frozen. Carbon Farming Solutions - Cultivation: regional crop. Management: hay (Describes the non-destructive management systems that are used in cultivation).

Propagating it: Division of the clumps is best - use young growth and discard old growth. Seed. Cuttings. Cuttings take the top 5cm (2inch), including the 'umbrella'.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 9-12

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Full shade, semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist, wet, water

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Flat sedge, Basket grass, umbrella sedge, mat sedge, Matjiesgoed (afrikaans), umuzi (xhosa)

Synonyms

Cyperus asperifolius Desf. Cyperus burchellii Schrad. Cyperus smithii Schrad.Eucyperus pungens Rikli. Eucyperus textilis (Thunb.) Rikli