Cyperus rotundus
| Cyperus rotundus | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Width: | 3' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Cyperus rotundus (common name: nut grass)
Propagation: Seed - surface sow in the spring and keep the compost moist[1]. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 6 weeks at 18°c[1]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. Grow on for their first winter in a greenhouse and plant them out in late spring after the last expected frosts.
Division in spring or autumn. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.
Cultivation: Prefers a moist sandy loam[2][3] and a sunny position[4].
We do not know how hardy this plant will be in Britain, one report says that it is frost-tender[4], but it is found growing wild in areas of N. America that do experience frost[5].
This plant is sometimes cultivated for its edible tubers in Tropical regions[6], however it is a serious weed of agricultural land in the tropics where it spreads rapidly at the roots[7] and is considered to be one of the world's most damaging weeds[8][4]. It is subject to statutory control in several countries[4].
Range: S. and W. Europe, Tropical areas.
Habitat: Roadsides, sandy fields and cultivated ground in Eastern North America[5]. Plants are usually only found in damp places[4].
Edibility: Tuber - raw or cooked[9][10][11][12][13]. A very strong flavour when freshly harvested, said to resemble 'Vick's VapoRub', the tubers become milder if they are allowed to dry[12]. A pleasant nutty flavour according to another report[2] whilst another says that the roots are very unpalatable raw and a little better but still not very palatable when cooked[14]. The dried roots can be ground into a powder and used as a cereal[15].
Seed. A famine food, used when all else fails[16]. It is very small and would be fiddly to use[K].
Medicinal: Nut grass is a pungent bitter-sweet herb that relieves spasms and pain, acting mainly on the digestive system and uterus[4]. The roots and tubers are analgesic, antibacterial, antispasmodic, antitussive, aromatic, astringent, carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, litholytic, sedative, skin, stimulant, stomachic, tonic and vermifuge[17][18][19][20][21][22][4][23][24]. They are used internally in the treatment of digestive problems and menstrual complaints[4]. They are commonly combined with black pepper (Piper nigrum) in the treatment of stomachaches[13]. The roots are harvested in the summer or winter and are dried for later use[4].
An essential oil in the tubers has antibiotic activity and has been shown to arrest the growth of Micrococcus pyrogenes[23].
The plant is rated 8th amongst 250 potential antifertility plants in China[22].
The plant is used in the treatment of cervical cancer[22].
Usage: The leaves are used in basketry and for weaving hats, matting etc[25].
The aromatic root is used for perfumery in India[26][7][18]. When dried and ground into a fine powder it is used like talcum powder[27].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: C. hexastachyos. Pycreus rotundus. (L.)Hayek.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bird, Alfred. Growing from Seed Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan, 1990.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Saunders, Charles. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1976.
- ↑ Rosengarten Jr., Frederic. The Book of Edible Nuts. Dover, 1984.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Harrington, Harold. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press, 1967.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Manandhar, Narayan. Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press, 2002.
- ↑ Cribb, Alan and Joan Cribb. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana, 1976.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Oriental Herbs and Vegetables, Vol 39 No. 2. Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1986.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Singh, Gurcharan and Premnath Kachroo. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, 1976.
- ↑ Revolutionary Health Committee of Hunan Province. A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press.
- ↑ Lassak, Erich and Tara McCarthy. Australian Medicinal Plants.
- ↑ Yeung, Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, 1985.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea. World Health Organisation, 1998.
- ↑ Stuart, George. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei Southern Materials Centre.
- ↑ Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.