River club-rushes
Schoenoplectus litoralis

Family: Cyperaceae

What it is like

A sedge which keeps growing from year to year. It is 1.5 m high. It forms tufts and has long stout rhizomes. The stems are 3 angled near the flower but are rounded lower down. The stems are hollow. There are 3-4 leaves per stem. They are pale grey and mostly with just a sheath but the top leaf is 50 cm long. The flower head is brown and is a compound arrangement of many spikes. The spikelets are 0.5-2 cm long. The nut is curved on both sides and 2 mm long. It is smooth.

There are about 60 Schoenoplectus species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows on the edge of swamps. Often it is in brackish water. It is often on coastal regions. It can grow on the edges of mangroves.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Africa, Asia, Australia, Burkina Faso, Central Asia, China, Egypt, Europe, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, India, Indochina, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mediterranean, Middle East, Mongolia, North Africa, Oman, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, Türkiye, West Africa

How it is used for food

The underground stem was roasted and crushed then eaten.

Edible parts

Rhizome, root, stem

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Enguemae, Inthue

Synonyms

Scirpus litoralis Schrader; Scirpus subulatus Vahl.; Schoenoplectus subulatus (Vahl) Lye; Schoenoplectus littoralis (Schrad.) Palla subsp. subulatus (Vahl) T.Koyama;