Practical
Plants

Cyperus rotundus

Nut Grass

a perennial member of the Cyperus genus in the family Cyperaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Cyperus
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.6 m
Spread
1 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Tuber - raw or cooked[14][26][2][13][21]. A very strong flavour when freshly harvested, said to resemble 'Vick's VapoRub', the tubers become milder if they are allowed to dry[13]. A pleasant nutty flavour according to another report[27] whilst another says that the roots are very unpalatable raw and a little better but still not very palatable when cooked[5]. The dried roots can be ground into a powder and used as a cereal[20]. Seed. A famine food, used when all else fails[11]. It is very small and would be fiddly to use[K].

Plant part
Root
Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Nut grass is a pungent bitter-sweet herb that relieves spasms and pain, acting mainly on the digestive system and uterus[17]. The roots and tubers are analgesic, antibacterial, antispasmodic, antitussive, aromatic, astringent, carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, litholytic, sedative, skin, stimulant, stomachic, tonic and vermifuge[3][6][7][8][10][16][17][18][22]. They are used internally in the treatment of digestive problems and menstrual complaints[17]. They are commonly combined with black pepper (Piper nigrum) in the treatment of stomachaches[21]. The roots are harvested in the summer or winter and are dried for later use[17]. An essential oil in the tubers has antibiotic activity and has been shown to arrest the growth of Micrococcus pyrogenes[18]. The plant is rated 8th amongst 250 potential antifertility plants in China[16]. The plant is used in the treatment of cervical cancer[16].

Product or use
Analgesic
Product or use
Antibacterial
Product or use
Antibiotic
Product or use
Antispasmodic
Product or use
Antitussive
Product or use
Aromatic
Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Carminative
Product or use
Contraceptive
Product or use
Diaphoretic
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Emmenagogue
Product or use
Lithontripic
Product or use
Sedative
Product or use
Skin
Product or use
Stimulant
Product or use
Stomachic
Product or use
Tonic
Product or use
Vermifuge

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves are used in basketry and for weaving hats, matting etc[12]. The aromatic root is used for perfumery in India[23][25][6]. When dried and ground into a fine powder it is used like talcum powder[19].

Product or use
Essential
Product or use
Weaving

Environment

Range
S. and W. Europe, Tropical areas.
Habitat
Roadsides, sandy fields and cultivated ground in Eastern North America[24]. Plants are usually only found in damp places[17].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
high
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - surface sow in the spring and keep the compost moist[9]. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 6 weeks at 18°c[9]. 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

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a moist sandy loam[27][4] and a sunny position[17]. We do not know how hardy this plant will be in Britain, one report says that it is frost-tender[17], but it is found growing wild in areas of N. America that do experience frost[24]. This plant is sometimes cultivated for its edible tubers in Tropical regions[1], however it is a serious weed of agricultural land in the tropics where it spreads rapidly at the roots[25] and is considered to be one of the world's most damaging weeds[15][17]. It is subject to statutory control in several countries[17].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  3. Brooklyn Botanic Garden Oriental Herbs and Vegetables, Vol 39 No. 2. Brooklyn Botanic Garden 1986-00-00

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  4. Rosengarten. jnr. F. The Book of Edible Nuts. Walker & Co. 1984-00-00 ISBN 0802707699

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  5. Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-00-634436-4

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  6. Singh. Dr. G. and Kachroo. Prof. Dr. P. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1976-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  7. ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X

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  8. Lassak. E. V. and McCarthy. T. Australian Medicinal Plants.

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  9. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  10. Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985-00-00

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  11. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  12. Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre

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  13. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

  14. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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  15. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

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  16. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2↩3

  17. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9

  18. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  19. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

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  20. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

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  21. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

    ↩1↩2

  22. Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea World Health Organisation, Manila 1998-00-00 ISBN 92 9061 120 0

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  23. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

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  24. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  25. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

  26. Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967-00-00 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9

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  27. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

    ↩1↩2

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