Practical
Plants

Scirpus paludosus

Bayonet Grass

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

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Scirpus
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.5 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

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

Root - raw or cooked. Rich in starch, they can be dried and ground into a powder then mixed with cereal flours for making bread and other items[8][9][10][2][3][6]. Pollen. Rich in protein, it can be mixed with flour and used for making bread etc[9][1][3].

Plant part
Pollen
Plant part
Root

Environment

Range
N. America - British Columbia to Quebec, south to New Jersey, Oregon and Mexico.
Habitat
Alkaline marshes and on shores[7]. Salt marshes[5].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
aquatic
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant
Salinity
tolerant

Propagation

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

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[4]. 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

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

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of this country. This species is very closely rlated to S. maritimus and is included as a form of that species by some botanists[6]. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in any wet to moisture retentive ground, pond margins and shallow water in full sun or shade[4].

References

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

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  2. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

  5. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

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  6. Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas Botanical Research Institute, Texas. 1999-00-00 http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm

    ↩1↩2

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

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  8. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

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

    ↩1↩2

  10. 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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