Bookmark and Share
Cyperus rotundus - L.                  
                   
Common Name Nut Grass
Family Cyperaceae
Synonyms C. hexastachyos. Pycreus rotundus. (L.)Hayek.
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Roadsides, sandy fields and cultivated ground in Eastern North America[43]. Plants are usually only found in damp places[238].
Range S. and W. Europe, Tropical areas.
Edibility Rating  
Medicinal Rating  
Care
Moist Soil Wet Soil Full sun

Summary        

Physical Characteristics        
 icon of manicon of flower
PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in). It is in flower from Mar to July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs)


The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils..It cannot grow in the shade.It requires moist or wet soil.




http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Rickjpelleg
http://www.flickr.com/people/24363893@N00
  
Habitats        
 Bog Garden;
Edible Uses                                          
Edible Parts: Root;  Seed.

Tuber - raw or cooked[2, 85, 105, 183, 272]. A very strong flavour when freshly harvested, said to resemble 'Vick's VapoRub', the tubers become milder if they are allowed to dry[183]. A pleasant nutty flavour according to another report[95] whilst another says that the roots are very unpalatable raw and a little better but still not very palatable when cooked[144]. The dried roots can be ground into a powder and used as a cereal[257]. Seed. A famine food, used when all else fails[177]. It is very small and would be fiddly to use[K].
Medicinal Uses


Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Analgesic;  Antibacterial;  Antibiotic;  Antispasmodic;  Antitussive;  Aromatic;  Astringent;  Carminative;  Contraceptive;  Diaphoretic;  Diuretic;  
Emmenagogue;  Lithontripic;  Sedative;  Skin;  Stimulant;  Stomachic;  Tonic;  Vermifuge.

Nut grass is a pungent bitter-sweet herb that relieves spasms and pain, acting mainly on the digestive system and uterus[238]. The roots and tubers are analgesic, antibacterial, antispasmodic, antitussive, aromatic, astringent, carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, litholytic, sedative, skin, stimulant, stomachic, tonic and vermifuge[116, 145, 147, 152, 176, 218, 238, 240, 279]. They are used internally in the treatment of digestive problems and menstrual complaints[238]. They are commonly combined with black pepper (Piper nigrum) in the treatment of stomachaches[272]. The roots are harvested in the summer or winter and are dried for later use[238]. An essential oil in the tubers has antibiotic activity and has been shown to arrest the growth of Micrococcus pyrogenes[240]. The plant is rated 8th amongst 250 potential antifertility plants in China[218]. The plant is used in the treatment of cervical cancer[218].
Other Uses
Essential;  Weaving.

The leaves are used in basketry and for weaving hats, matting etc[178]. The aromatic root is used for perfumery in India[4, 61, 145]. When dried and ground into a fine powder it is used like talcum powder[245].
Cultivation details                                          
Prefers a moist sandy loam[95, 117] and a sunny position[238]. We do not know how hardy this plant will be in Britain, one report says that it is frost-tender[238], but it is found growing wild in areas of N. America that do experience frost[43]. 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[61] and is considered to be one of the world's most damaging weeds[200, 238]. It is subject to statutory control in several countries[238].
                                                                                   
Propagation                                          
Seed - surface sow in the spring and keep the compost moist[164]. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 6 weeks at 18°c[164]. 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.
Expert comment                                          
 
       
Author                                          
L.
                                                                                   
Botanical References                                          
4350200
                                                                                   
Links / References                                          

  [K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[2]Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
[4]Grieve. A Modern Herbal.
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[43]Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany.
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
[61]Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
[85]Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains.
A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.
[95]Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada.
Useful wild plants of America. A pocket guide.
[105]Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
[116]Brooklyn Botanic Garden Oriental Herbs and Vegetables, Vol 39 No. 2.
A small booklet packed with information.
[117]Rosengarten. jnr. F. The Book of Edible Nuts.
A very readable and comprehensive guide. Well illustrated.
[144]Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia.
A very good pocket guide.
[145]Singh. Dr. G. and Kachroo. Prof. Dr. P. Forest Flora of Srinagar.
A good flora of the western Himalayas but poorly illustrated. Some information on plant uses.
[147]? A Barefoot Doctors Manual.
A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.
[152]Lassak. E. V. and McCarthy. T. Australian Medicinal Plants.
A very good and readable guide to the subject.
[164]Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4.
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.
[176]Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas.
An excellent Chinese herbal giving information on over 500 species. Rather technical and probably best suited to the more accomplished user of herbs.
[177]Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption.
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
[178]Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica.
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.
[183]Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[218]Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
[238]Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses.
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[240]Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
[245]Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World.
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
[257]Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
[272]Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal
Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.
[279] Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea
An excellent book with terse details about the medicinal uses of the plants with references to scientific trials. All plants are described, illustrated and brief details of habitats given.

Readers comment                                          
 
Elizabeth H.
Ivia E. Pantoja Quintana Tue Dec 14 02:59:49 2004
This is an excellent article especially since I am in high school and very interested in learning as much as I can about medicinal plants. In Puerto Rico the culture is rich with information relating to herbal treatments. At the moment I am beginning and do not have other references but am grateful for your site.
Elizabeth H.
dr,bestoon Sat Jan 26 2008

journal of antibacterial chemotherapy

Elizabeth H.
Antonio Diaz Nuñez Thu Apr 24 2008
Err....I think you should change this .... it is crazy...it says the nut is almost imposible to eat.....hehe....Please refer to Spain for CHUFA...and also try in China, India..... Very healthy and also nice flavor. About the fact of being a famine crop...uhhhh..there is a real industry about it....so....famine? The bad is it acts as an invasive weed...difficult to control...
Elizabeth H.
shubhangini Fri Dec 18 2009
hi....seeds are available ? if yes then where ?
Rate This Plant                                          
Please rate this plants for how successful you have found it to be. You will need to be logged in to do this. Our intention is not to create a list of 'popular' plants but rather to highlight plants that may be rare and unusual and that have been found to be useful by website users. This hopefully will encourage more people to use plants that they possibly would not have considered before.
     
                                                                                   
Add a comment/link                                          

If you have important information about this plant that may help other users please add a comment or link below. Only comments or links that are felt to be directly relevant to a plant will be included. If you think a comment/link or information contained on this page is inaccurate or misleading we would welcome your feedback at admin@pfaf.org. If you have questions about a plant please use the Forum on this website as we do not have the resources to answer questions ourselves.

* Please note: the comments by website users are not necessarily those held by PFAF and may give misleading or inaccurate information.

Subject : Cyperus rotundus  
               

Links To add a link to another website with useful info add the details here
Name of Site
URL of Site
Details

                                            
                                                                                   
Discussion Monitor                                          

To have posts to this page mailed to you enter your email address here:
(Your email address will not appear on the webpage or be passed on to third parties).

                                         

Your Address :