Cyperus alternifolius Seeds | Umbrella Papyrus
LATIN NAME: Cyperus alternifolius
COMMON NAME: Umbrella Papyrus, Umbrella Sedge, Zumula
Plant Profile
A distinctive member of its genus, Umbrella Papyrus (Cyperus alternifolius) is a tall, evergreen, grass in the sedge family (Cyperaceae), native to marshes and streamsides of the Africa and the Madagascar, while it has been cultivated widely in ponds and water gardens. The blooms are worked steadily by bees for as long as they are open. Together these qualities explain its long-standing appeal to gardeners.
Science & Biotechnology
As part of the sedge family, Cyperus alternifolius contributes to research on plant classification and adaptation, while nurseries and gardeners continue to trial it for cultivation. Umbrella papyrus has a real and distinguished place in research. Raising it from seed today is a matter of ordinary good practice rather than specialist skill.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Umbrella Papyrus for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. Umbrella papyrus is a tall, evergreen perennial of marshes and streamsides, bearing upright, triangular stems topped with whorls of slender, leaf-like bracts. To raise umbrella papyrus, sow seeds on surface of pots of moist, wet soil in a warm, bright place, keep them standing in water, and grow little plants on in the warmth. Once it has its roots down, it more or less looks after itself.
Nutgrass rhizome, Xiang Fu, is Chinese medicine’s foremost qi-regulating herb for women’s comfort and digestion, and its relative is the edible tigernut of horchata; cyperus essential oil is studied for calming and antimicrobial activity.
Growing from Seed
Raising Umbrella Papyrus from seed is straightforward. Level a tray of loose seed compost, sow evenly, cover to about the seed’s own depth, and keep it moist in full light. Prick the seedlings out once they are large enough to handle, grow them on in bright light, and plant out when conditions allow.
Our Take
Its role in herbal practice, noted above, adds depth to an already garden-worthy plant. Umbrella Papyrus, Umbrella Sedge, Zumula is the kind of plant that rewards a permanent spot. Young plants want steady water; older plants take conditions as they come.
Related Reading
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