Scirpus validus creber
| Scirpus validus | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 5' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Scirpus validus creber
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: We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain. However, judging by its native range, it is likely to succeed outdoors at least in the milder areas of the country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
This species may be no more than a synonym for Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani
Succeeds in any wet to moisture retentive ground, pond margins and shallow water in full sun or shade[1].
Range: N. America.
Edibility: Root - raw or cooked[4][5][6][7]. Rich in starch. The bruised young roots, when boiled in water, furnish a sweet syrup[7].
Young shoots - cooked[8][3][9][7]. The tender base of the stem is eaten raw in salads[7].
The pollen is used in soups or mixed with flour and used in making bread[10][7]. It is rich in protein.
Seed[3][9][4][7]. No further details are given but it is probably ground into a powder and used in making bread etc. Small and rather fiddly to harvest and utilize.
Medicinal: The root is astringent and diuretic[11].
Usage: The stems are used in weaving and basket making[12][13]. They are used to make good quality mats for use on the floor, for sleeping on and for making temporary partitions[13]. The stems are pulled off the plant rather than cut to ensure the maximum length of stem[13].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Schoenoplectus validus creber.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Elias, Thomas. A Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 McPherson, Alan and Sue McPherson. Wild Food Plants of Indiana. Indiana University Press, 1977.
- ↑ Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Harris, Ben. Eat the Weeds. Pivot Health, 1973.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Harrington, Harold. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press, 1967.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Lassak, Erich and Tara McCarthy. Australian Medicinal Plants.
- ↑ Bell, Lilian. Plant Fibres for Papermaking. Liliaceae Press, 1988.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.