Herb latin name: Scirpus validus creber


Synonyms: Schoenoplectus validus creber


Family: Cyperaceae (Sedge Family)



Medicinal use of Scirpus validus creber:

The root is astringent and diuretic.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
150 cm
(5 feet)

Flowering:
July to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Shallow water.

Edible parts of Scirpus validus creber:

Root - raw or cooked. Rich in starch. The bruised young roots, when boiled in water, furnish a sweet syrup. Young shoots - cooked. The tender base of the stem is eaten raw in salads. The pollen is used in soups or mixed with flour and used in making bread. It is rich in protein. Seed. No further details are given but it is probably ground into a powder and used in making bread etc. Small and rather fiddly to harvest and utilize.

Other uses of the herb:

The stems are used in weaving and basket making. They are used to make good quality mats for use on the floor, for sleeping on and for making temporary partitions. The stems are pulled off the plant rather than cut to ensure the maximum length of stem.

Propagation of Scirpus validus creber:

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:

Shallow water.

Known hazards of Scirpus validus creber:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.