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Scirpus validus creber

Common name:		Family:	Cyperaceae
Author:	Fernald.	Botanical references:	43
Synonyms:	Schoenoplectus validus creber ((Fernald.) A.& D. Lö ve.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	N. America.
Habitat:	Shallow water[43, 62].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	S. lacustris ssp. creber[B,P] S. lacustris ssp. glaucus[B,P] S. lacustris ssp. tabernaemontani[B,P] S. lacustris ssp. validus[B,P] S. lacustris tabernaemont[H] S. lacustris var. tabernaemont[H] S. tabernaemontani[B,C,H,,P] S. validus[B,P] S. validus var. creber[B,P] Schoenoplectus lacustris ssp. creber[B,P] Schoenoplectus lacustris ssp. tabernaemontani[B] Schoenoplectus lacustris ssp. validus[B,P] Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani[B,C,CAL,H,HPIC,L,P] Schoenoplectus validus[B,P] Schoenoplectus validus ssp. creber[B,P] Schoenoplectus validus ssp. luxurians[B,P]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Glaucous Bulrush [L],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	validus = robust
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Cyperales. Sedge family

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 1.5m. It is hardy to zone 7. It is in flower from July to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Wind. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist or wet soil and can grow in water.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Pond, Bog Garden.

Edible Uses

Leaves Pollen Root Seed.

Root - raw or cooked[159, 161, 172, 183]. Rich in starch. The bruised young roots, when boiled in water, furnish a sweet syrup[183].
Young shoots - cooked[55, 62, 85, 183]. The tender base of the stem is eaten raw in salads[183].
The pollen is used in soups or mixed with flour and used in making bread[177, 183]. It is rich in protein.
Seed[62, 85, 159, 183]. 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.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Astringent Diuretic.

The root is astringent and diuretic[152].

Other Uses

Basketry Weaving.

The stems are used in weaving and basket making[189, 257]. They are used to make good quality mats for use on the floor, for sleeping on and for making temporary partitions[257]. The stems are pulled off the plant rather than cut to ensure the maximum length of stem[257].

Cultivation details

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain. However, judging by its native range, it is likely to succeed outdoors at least in the milder areas of the country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
This species may be no more than a synonym for Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani
Succeeds in any wet to moisture retentive ground, pond margins and shallow water in full sun or shade[200].

Propagation

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[200]. 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.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.

References for schoenoplectus tabernaemontani (a possible synonym).

[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures
[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures

References for the family Cyperaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.

[55] Harris. B. C. Eat the Weeds. Pivot Health 1973
Interesting reading.

[62] Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982 ISBN 0442222009
Very readable.

[85] Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9
A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.

[152] Lassak. E. V. and McCarthy. T. Australian Medicinal Plants.
A very good and readable guide to the subject.

[159] McPherson. A. and S. Wild Food Plants of Indiana. Indiana University Press 1977 ISBN 0-253-28925-4
A nice pocket guide to this region of America.

[161] Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.

[172] Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
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.

[189] Bell. L. A. Plant Fibres for Papermaking. Liliaceae Press 1988
A good practical section on how to make paper on a small scale plus details of about 75 species (quite a few of them tropical) that can be used.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
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.

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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