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Useful Tropical Plants

Cyperus haspan

L.

Cyperaceae


This taxon is sometimes spelled Cyperus halpan L.[
451
Title
Flora Malesiana Series 1
Publication
 
Author
Various
Website
http://www.archive.org
Publisher
Nationaal Herbarium Nederiand, Universiteit Leiden branch
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A massive treatment of the plants of the Malaysian Archipelago. Much of it has been made available to download from the Internet
]. When first publishing the name, Linnaeus misread the vernacular name halpan as haspan. The misread name has been generally accepted, though there are some older publications where the name was corrected to halpan. It seems that the generally accepted current view is that the original (mis-spelling) of haspan should stand[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].

+ Synonyms

Cyperus adenophorus Schrad. ex Nees

Cyperus americanus (Boeckeler) Palla

Cyperus aphyllus Vahl

Cyperus autumnalis Vahl

Cyperus caespitosus Llanos

Cyperus cancellatus Ridl.

Cyperus cayennensis Link

Cyperus efoliatus Boeckeler

Cyperus gracilis Muhl.

Cyperus gramineus Roem. & Schult.

Cyperus graminifolius Poir.

Cyperus halpan L.

Cyperus hyemalis Pursh ex C.B.Clarke

Cyperus junceus Link

Cyperus juncoides Lam.

Cyperus laticulmis Spreng.

Cyperus leptos Schult.

Cyperus microcarpus Boeckeler

Cyperus muehlenbergii Spreng.

Cyperus nudus Kunth

Cyperus pedatus Nees

Cyperus phaeorhizus K.Schum.

Cyperus planiculmis Steud.

Cyperus platyculmis R.Br.

Cyperus princeae C.B.Clarke

Cyperus riparius Schrad. ex Nees

Cyperus stellatus Link

Cyperus triqueter Boeckeler

Cyperus tunicatus Schult.

Cyperus vaginatus Link

Scirpus autumnalis Rottb.

Common Name:

Cyperus haspan
Flowering plants
Photograph by: Forest and Kim Starr
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Cyperus haspan Cyperus haspan

General Information

Cyperus haspan is an annual to perennial, somewhat grass-like plant with soft, almost succulent growth. The roots are fibrous when the plant is an annual, with shortish rhizomes being produced when the plant perennates. The culms can be tufted or scattered, 10 - 60cm tall[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
,
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
,
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
The plant has several minor uses, for which it is usually harvested from the wild and used locally[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Cyperus haspan The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2018)[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.

Range

Tropics and subtropics in much of Africa, through Asia to Australia.

Habitat

Sparse forests, grasslands on mountain slopes, sand by river margins, swamps, ditch margins in valleys, waste places, wet places, along trails, dry fields, rice paddies from near sea level to 1,600 metres[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].

Properties

Weed PotentialYes
Conservation StatusLeast Concern
Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitAnnual/Perennial
Height0.50 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details


The plant grows in the wild in seasonally and permanently wet grassland, as well as on thin wet soil over rock and in ditches[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
A common weed in much of the tropics and subtropics[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Plants often flower in their first year from seed[
451
Title
Flora Malesiana Series 1
Publication
 
Author
Various
Website
http://www.archive.org
Publisher
Nationaal Herbarium Nederiand, Universiteit Leiden branch
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A massive treatment of the plants of the Malaysian Archipelago. Much of it has been made available to download from the Internet
].

Edible Uses

Salt is prepared from the ashes of the plant[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
991
Title
Cyperaceae of Economic, Ethnobotanical and Horticultural Importance: A Checklist
Publication
Kew Bulletin Vol. 56 No. 2, pp 257 - 360
Author
Simpson D.A.; Inglis C.A.
Publisher
The Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew, London
Year
2001
ISBN
1-84246-038-2
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive checklist, giving the range, habitat and uses of over 500 species.
]. Water is percolated through the ashes in order to dissolve out the potassium salts, the water is then evaporated off to leave the salts behind[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
]. It is made on a small scale by some tribes in eastern Africa[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
].

We have no specific information for this species, but it is said that the inner base of the young stems of all species in this genus can be eaten raw, and make an excellent survival food in times of need[
85
Title
Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains.
Publication
 
Author
Harrington. H. D.
Publisher
University of New Mexico Press
Year
1967
ISBN
0-8623-0343-9
Description
A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.
].

Medicinal

Smoke from the pith of the plant is used as a febrifuge[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

A decoction of the plant is used internally against shingles[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
The whole plant, particularly the rhizome, is used with other plants to treat fevers[
991
Title
Cyperaceae of Economic, Ethnobotanical and Horticultural Importance: A Checklist
Publication
Kew Bulletin Vol. 56 No. 2, pp 257 - 360
Author
Simpson D.A.; Inglis C.A.
Publisher
The Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew, London
Year
2001
ISBN
1-84246-038-2
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive checklist, giving the range, habitat and uses of over 500 species.
].

The rhizomes are diuretic and a paste made from it is taken as a remedy for kidney problems[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
]. It is also used for
healing, lactation and as a stimulant[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
]

Other Uses

The pith of the stems has been used as lamp wicks[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
,
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
,
991
Title
Cyperaceae of Economic, Ethnobotanical and Horticultural Importance: A Checklist
Publication
Kew Bulletin Vol. 56 No. 2, pp 257 - 360
Author
Simpson D.A.; Inglis C.A.
Publisher
The Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew, London
Year
2001
ISBN
1-84246-038-2
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive checklist, giving the range, habitat and uses of over 500 species.
].

The plant is a source of materials for weaving into mats and baskets[
991
Title
Cyperaceae of Economic, Ethnobotanical and Horticultural Importance: A Checklist
Publication
Kew Bulletin Vol. 56 No. 2, pp 257 - 360
Author
Simpson D.A.; Inglis C.A.
Publisher
The Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew, London
Year
2001
ISBN
1-84246-038-2
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive checklist, giving the range, habitat and uses of over 500 species.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-12-05. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cyperus+haspan>

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