Scirpus lacustris
| Scirpus lacustris | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 8' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Scirpus lacustris (common name: bulrush)
Propagation: Seed - sow in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in a pot standing in 3cm of water. Only just cover the seed with soil[1]. The seed usually germinates fairly quickly. Prick out the plants when large enough to handle and plant out in their permanent positions in early summer.
Division in spring. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.
Cultivation: Succeeds in any wet to moisture retentive soil, pond margins and shallow water in full sun or shade[2][1]. Plants can succeed in fairly deep water.
Hardy to about -25°c[3].
Some named forms have been selected for their ornamental value[3].
Range: Europe, incl Britain, south and east from Lapland to Africa and Asia. N. and C. America, Polynesia.
Habitat: Bogs, shallow pond margins, rivers and lakes, usually where there is abundant silt, in acid or calcareous conditions[2][4].
Edibility: Root - raw or cooked[5][6][7][8]. Rich in starch, it can be dried and ground into a powder or made into a syrup[9][6][7][8]. The buds at the end of the rhizomes are crisp and sweet, making excellent eating raw[8].
Young shoots - raw or cooked[6][8]. Used in spring.
Seed - ground up into a powder and mixed with flour for use in making cakes etc[6][8]. The seed is small and rather fiddly to harvest and utilize.
Base of mature stems - raw or cooked. Somewhat tough[6].
Pollen - raw or cooked. Rich in pollen, it is mixed with flour and used in making cakes etc[6][8].
Medicinal: The roots are astringent and diuretic[10]. They were formerly employed medicinally but have fallen into disuse[11].
This plant is a traditional medicine for cancer[12].
Usage: The stems are frequently used for making matting, chair bottoms etc and thatching[2][11][13][6][14][15]. They were at one time imported in large quantities for this purpose[11].
The pith of the stems is used in paper making[14].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Schoenoplectus lacustris. (L.)Pallas.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Perennials - The Definitve Reference. Pan Books, 1991.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Harrington, Harold. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press, 1967.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Saunders, Charles. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1976.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Triska, Jan. Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn, 1975.
- ↑ Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ Wright, Dorothy. Complete Book of Baskets and Basketry. David and Charles, 1977.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of Europe. Oxford University Press, 1969.
- ↑ Sowerby, John. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. 1862.