Water grass
Bulbostylis barbata

Family: Cyperaceae

What it is like

A tufted annual sedge. It grows 2-35 cm high. The stems are 4-6 angled and grooved. The leaves are about half the length of the stem. The leaves roll inward and look like stems. There can be a few or many flowering stalks. They are in a head. The flowers are brown. The nuts are about 0.6 mm. They are triangle shaped.

There are about 50-100 Bulbostylis species. They grow in the tropics and subtropics.

Where it is found

It is a tropical and subtropical plant. It grows in sand and loam as well as on sandstone and in rocky crevices. In China it grows on sandy beaches between 100-2,000 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Australia, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Central America, China, East Africa, Guatemala, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Martinique, Mozambique, Nepal, North Africa, North America, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, SE Asia, South America, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Taiwan, Thailand, USA, Vietnam, West Africa, Zambia

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Seeds, cereal, root

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Kaafaru hui, Masa, Mukkutikorei, Mulyaka-lulu, Musadadhi, Piaza

Synonyms

Abilgaardia barbata (Rottb.) P. Beauv.; Bulbostylis fimbriatus Boeck.; Cyperus barbata (Rottb.) Poir.; Fimbristylis barbata (Rottb.) Benth.; Isolepis barbata (Rottb.) R. Br.; Scirpus barbatus Roxb.; Abildgaardia abortiva (Steud.) Lye; and others