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Cyperus eragrostis

Lam.

Cyperaceae Edible: Tubers, Tubers - coffee, Root 21,819 iNaturalist observations

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(c) Kevin Thiele, some rights reserved (CC BY)

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no rights reserved, uploaded by common_snowball

iNaturalist· cc-by

(c) Harry Rose, some rights reserved (CC BY)

Cyperus eragrostis is a species of sedge known by several common names, including tall flatsedge, nutgrass, tall nutgrass, umbrella sedge, chufa, Earth almond, zula nuts, edible galingale and pale galingale. In New Zealand, it is also known by the Māori name Puketangata. This species is associated with disturbed wet environments.

Description

A sedge. It keeps growing from year to year. It has rhizomes. The stems are 40-60 cm tall. They can be 3 angled. The leaves are 25-50 cm long by 5-8 mm wide.

Edible Uses

The tubers are edible and can be used as a coffee substitute or prepared as a root.

Distribution

It is a temperate and tropical plant. In Taiwan it grows in damp grasslands and near the seashore below 200 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Africa, Asia, Australia, Chile, Easter Island, Guianas, Guyana, North America, Pacific, South Africa, South America, Suriname, Taiwan, Tasmania, USA,

Synonyms

Cyperus vegetus Willd.

References (3)

  • Leon-Lobos, P., et al, 2022, Patterns of Traditional and Modern Uses of Wild Edible Native Plants of Chile: Challenges and Future Perspectives. Plants (Basel) v 11 (6) Table S1
  • USDA plants
  • Zizka, G., 1991, Flowering Plants of Easter Island. Palmarum Hortus Francofurtensis

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