Herb: Panicled Bulrush


Latin name: Scirpus microcarpus


Family: Cyperaceae (Sedge Family)



Medicinal use of Panicled Bulrush:

A poultice of the pounded roots has been used as a treatment for abscesses. An infusion of the plant, combined with blue flag (Iris spp), has been used as a gargle for sore throats.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
150 cm
(5 feet)

Habitat of the herb:

Wet low ground in lowlands to moderate elevations in the mountains.

Edible parts of Panicled Bulrush:

Root - raw or cooked. Rich in starch. Stem. Peeled and eaten raw or cooked. Stem base - raw or cooked. Pollen. Rich in protein, it can be added to flour when making bread, cakes etc. Seed. A nutty flavour. The seed is rather small and fiddly to harvest and utilize.

Other uses of the herb:

The leaves have been used in the bottom portion of baskets.

Propagation of Panicled 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:

Wet low ground in lowlands to moderate elevations in the mountains.

Known hazards of Scirpus microcarpus:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.