Papyrus sedge
Cyperus papyrus
Family: Cyperaceae
What it is like
A sedge. These grow in clumps and have grass like leaves and solid stalks. It is an erect herb which grows in tufts. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 2.5 m tall. It has a short, thick, woody underground stem or rhizome. The stems are triangle shaped. The leaves are reduced to brown sheaths. There are 4-10 flowering bracts. These are 7-15 cm long. They are about 1 cm wide. The flower is compound with over 100 branches 10-25 cm long. Each has a sheath like bract 3-5 cm long near the base. There are also 3-5 bracts about 20 cm long at the tip. When the flowers are fertile there are 3-5 spikes with 20-30 spikelets. Each spikelet has 3-20 flowers. These are 1 cm long by 1 mm wide. The nut is 3 sided and brown.
There are 550 Cyperus species.
Where it is found
It needs tropical conditions. It grows in marshy habitats and lakes. It will grow in slow flowing water. It will grow in water up to 1 m deep. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 9-12.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Asia, Australia, Benin, Botswana, Central Africa, Central America, Chad, Congo R, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Egypt (country/location of origin), Europe, Fiji, Gabon, Greece, Guinea, Guinée, Hawaii, Indochina, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Mediterranean, Middle East, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, North Africa, Oman, Pacific, Palestine, Rwanda, SE Asia, Senegal, Slovenia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Uganda, USA, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
The tender shoots and rhizomes are cooked and eaten. The thick pith of the stem is chewed like sugarcane.
It is cultivated.
Edible parts
Rhizome, root, culms, stems, shoots, vegetable, spice
How it is grown
Floating plants can grow and spread vegetatively. It can be grown by division.
Its other names
Local names
Paper-rush, Paper-reed, Papirus, Uloko, Umufuunzo
Synonyms
Papyrus antiquorum;