Cyperus vaginatus
R.Br.
Cyperaceae
Cyperus cruciformis Boeckeler
Cyperus textilis F.Muell.
Common Name:
General Information
Cyperus vaginatus is a grass-like perennial plant forming tussocks of growth up to 1 metre tall from a short, thick rhizome[
365- Title
- Flora of New South Wales
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/floraonline.htm
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An on-line resource giving a brief botanical description of all the native plants of New South Wales, their habitat and range, together with diagrams and photographs of the plants.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild as a source of fibre. It is said to be the best indigenous fibre plant in Australia, and is likewise for the ease in which it is converted into pulp for making good writing paper[
454- Title
- Useful Fiber Plants of the World
- Publication
-
- Author
- Dodge C.R.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- USDA; Washington.
- Year
- 1897
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
365- Title
- Flora of New South Wales
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/floraonline.htm
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An on-line resource giving a brief botanical description of all the native plants of New South Wales, their habitat and range, together with diagrams and photographs of the plants.
Range
Australia - all mainland states.
Habitat
Along the sides of creeks in New South Wales[
365- Title
- Flora of New South Wales
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/floraonline.htm
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An on-line resource giving a brief botanical description of all the native plants of New South Wales, their habitat and range, together with diagrams and photographs of the plants.
]. Margins of rivers and creeks on sands and sandy-clay soils[
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.
]. Periodically flooded river flats, swampy depressions and other moist localities[
454- Title
- Useful Fiber Plants of the World
- Publication
-
- Author
- Dodge C.R.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- USDA; Washington.
- Year
- 1897
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Properties
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial |
| Height | 1.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
A plant mainly of the subtropics, moving into the tropics in the north of its range.
The plant is highly productive and isavailable by the thousands of tons, growing as it does on periodically flooded river flats, swampy depressions, and other moist localities where a continued harvest of the leaves and culms cannot possibly exhaust the soil[
454- Title
- Useful Fiber Plants of the World
- Publication
-
- Author
- Dodge C.R.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- USDA; Washington.
- Year
- 1897
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Edible Uses
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
None known
Other Uses
A fibre obtained from the plant is used traditionally to make nets and cordage[
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.
]. The outer parts of the stems are used[
156- Title
- Useful Wild Plants in Australia.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
- Publisher
- William Collins Pty Ltd. Sidney
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- 0-00-216441-8
- Description
- A very readable book.
].
The fibre is extraordinarily tough, and accordingly can be formed into a very tenacious paper, which is also one of great excellence[
454- Title
- Useful Fiber Plants of the World
- Publication
-
- Author
- Dodge C.R.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- USDA; Washington.
- Year
- 1897
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
