Fuirena umbellata
Rottb.
Cyperaceae
Fuirena appendiculata Peter
Fuirena brachylepis Peter
Fuirena brasiliensis Palla
Fuirena brasiliensis Raddi
Fuirena canescens Vahl
Fuirena capitata Willd. ex Kunth
Fuirena complotricha C.Wright
Fuirena guianensis Klotzsch
Fuirena haemaglottis Steud.
Fuirena hildebrandtii Boeckeler
Fuirena mahouxii Cherm.
Fuirena mauritiana Nees ex Kunth
Fuirena multiflora Peter
Fuirena paniculata L.f.
Fuirena pentagona Schumach.
Fuirena pentagona Wight & Arn. ex Nees
Fuirena philippinensis Gand.
Fuirena quinguangularis Hassk
Fuirena rivularis Nees
Fuirena seriata C.B.Clarke
Fuirena tereticulmis J.Presl & C.Presl
Fuirena thouarsiana Kunth
Scirpus fuirena T.Koyama
Scirpus rivularis D.Don. ex Nees
Scirpus umbellatus (Rottb.) Kuntze
Common Name:
General Information
Fuirena umbellata is a sturdy perennial, grass-like plant with solitary, erect culms growing from short, creeping rhizomes. The plant can be 50 - 110 cm tall[
,
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 plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is sometimes used as a green manure in rice fields and for soil stabilization.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
Range
Widespread in subtropical and tropical regions of Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas.
Habitat
Common in open wet locations, sometimes in secondary forest; at elevations up to 1,800 metres[
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.
]. Areas of permanent shallow water, swamps, pools, ditches, marshy lake shores, even in brackish sites[
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.
].
Properties
| Weed Potential | Yes |
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial |
| Height | 0.80 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
The plant is found as a weed in rice fields[
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 basal node of the flowering culm is swollen into a bulbil, so that the tufted plant resembles a shallot (Allium cepa var). The plant spreads by means of these bulbils, making it a difficult weed to eradicate[
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/
].
Edible Uses
The tubers are edible[
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.
]. This report probably refers to the bulbil at the base of the flowering culm[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
The plant is burnt and the ashes used as a salt[
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.
].
Medicinal
Newborn babies are washed in an infusion of the leaves[
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.
].
Agroforestry Uses:
When growing as a weed, the plant is ploughed in as a green manure in rice fields[
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 plant may serve as a mud-binder to resist tidal scouring[
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.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
