Herb: Seaside Bulrush


Latin name: Scirpus maritimus


Synonyms: Bolboschoenus maritimus


Family: Cyperaceae (Sedge Family)



Medicinal use of Seaside Bulrush:

The root is astringent and diuretic. It is used in the treatment of amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea, abdominal pain or tumours for post-partum females, abdominal distension and indigestion.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
July to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Along the seashore, in shallow water of tidal rivers, also in ditches and ponds near the sea, avoiding shady positions.

Edible parts of Seaside Bulrush:

Root - raw or cooked. Rich in starch, it is usually dried and ground into a powder. The roots form tubers at intervals along their length and new plants are formed from these tubers. When first formed, the tubers are white and starchy with a sweet coconut-milk flavour, they become black and woody with age. Tubers can be up to 2.5cm in diameter. Seed - cooked. They can be ground into a powder and used as a mush.

Other uses of the herb:

The leaves are used in weaving and basketry. The leaves have been used to secure the edges of woven mats, as the warp for sandals, as the warps and twining wefts for clothing, to secure the edges of skirts etc. They have been used to make twined mats for the insides of houses.

Propagation of Seaside Bulrush:

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. 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 of the herb:

Along the seashore, in shallow water of tidal rivers, also in ditches and ponds near the sea, avoiding shady positions.

Known hazards of Scirpus maritimus:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.