Cyperus pangorei (PROSEA)
Introduction |
Cyperus pangorei Rottb.
- Family: Cyperaceae
Synonyms
Cyperus tegetum Roxb., Papyrus pangorei (Rottb.) Nees, P. dehiscens Nees.
Distribution
India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Burma (Myanmar) and China (Hainan). Formerly cultivated in Sulawesi (Indonesia) and Mauritius; it is not known whether it is still grown in Indonesia.
Uses
The stems are made into mats and baskets, e.g. in Sulawesi (Indonesia), Burma (Myanmar), India, Sri Lanka and Mauritius. In India the stems, either entire or split into 2 or more strands, are used for weaving mats for floor covering and decoration.
Observations
A perennial herb with a 3-7 mm thick rhizome and stems laxly tufted or row-arranged, trigonous, smooth, 70-200 cm × 3-7 mm. Leaves reduced to sheaths or some with blade up to 10 cm × 5 mm. Inflorescence umbel-like, 6-15 cm × 7-16 cm; involucral bracts 3-5, unequal, 17-30 cm × 5-8 mm; primary rays 5-7, unequal, up to 9 cm long, secondary rays about 5, up to 1.5 cm long; spikes 2-3 cm long bearing 5-14 spikelets 1-2 cm long. Fruit a nut, trigonous, 1.5 mm × 0.3 mm, brown. C. pangorei is found in open wet locations, marshes and on margins of water bodies. The stem of C. pangorei grown in India contained 65-69% holocellulose, 36-37% αcellulose, 16-17% lignin, 2-26% pentosans, 5% fat and wax, 1% pectin and 10-11% ash.
Selected sources
13, 39, 63, 66, 108, 158, 197.
Authors
M. Brink, P.C.M. Jansen & C.H. Bosch