Butomus umbellatus

Butomus umbellatus is a Eurasian plant species in the family Butomaceae. It is the only species in the family. Common names include flowering rush or grass rush. Introduced into North America as an ornamental plant it has now become a serious invasive weed in the Great Lakes area and in parts of the Pacific Northwest. In Israel, one of its native countries, it is an endangered species due to the habitat loss. It can also be found in Great Britain locally, for example at the Caldicot and Wentloog Levels. The plant is a rhizomatous, hairless, perennial aquatic plant. Its name is derived from Greek bous, meaning "cow", "ox" etc. and tome, a cut (the verb 'temnein' meaning "to cut"), which refers to the plant's swordlike leaves.

Description

A rush which grows 1.5 m tall and spreads 75 cm wide. It has underground stems or rhizomes. The leaves are long, pointed and dark green. They can be 1 m long and 1.3 cm wide and twisted. The base is triangle shaped forming a sheath. The flowers are borne in umbels. The flower stalks are round and in the axils of leaves. They can be 1.5 m high. The flowers are reddish-white.

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Root Seed Edible Uses: Tuber - cooked. It should be peeled and the rootlets removed. The root can also be dried and ground into a powder, it can then be used as a thickener in soups etc, or be added to cereal flours when making bread. It contains more than 50% starch. Seed. No more details are given, but the seed is very small and fiddly to use.

Traditional Uses

The root/rhizome is washed, steamed, sun-dried then baked or made into flour. It is eaten as a vegetable or with other grain cereals.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

None known

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It grows in shallow water in ditches and along the edges of rivers. It does best in mud or shallow water no deeper than 8-13 cm. It is damaged by drought and frost. It suits hardiness zones 5-9.

Where It Grows

Afghanistan, Africa, Asia, Australia, Balkans, Bosnia, Britain, Canada, Central Asia, China, Europe*, Finland, France, Hungary, India, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Luxembourg, Mongolia, North Africa, North America, Norway, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, Scandinavia, Tajikistan, USA, Uzbekistan,

Cultivation

Requires a sunny position. A plant of wet habitats, it succeeds in wet soils and in water up to 30cm deep. A very ornamental plant. The flowers have a scent of bitter almonds.

Propagation

Seed - best surface-sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe, it usually germinates in the spring. The seed quickly loses its vitality if it is not kept moist. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a tray of water in the cold frame, planting them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Division in spring. Very easy, larger clumps can be planted direct into their permanent positions. It is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are well rooted before planting them out in the summer.

Other Uses

Butomus umbellatus is cultivated as an ornamental waterside plant. Special Uses Scented Plants

Other Information

It is a famine food.

Notes

There is only one Butomus species. There is only one genus in the Butomaceae family. It can become invasive.

Also Known As

Alacs, Elecs, Elecske, Susak, Vodoljub

References (25)

• Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 69
• Bodkin, F., 1991, Encyclopedia Botanica. Cornstalk publishing, p 179
• Brickell, C. (Ed.), 1999, The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Convent Garden Books. p 198
• Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 271
• Denes, A., et al, 2012, Wild plants used for food by Hungarian ethnic groups living in the Carpathian Basin. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 81 (4): 381-396