Cladium mariscus subsp. jamaicense
(L.) Pohl, (Crantz) kuk
Saw grass
(c) Sebastian J. Dunkl, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Sebastian J. Dunkl
no rights reserved, uploaded by 葉子
(c) Sebastian J. Dunkl, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Sebastian J. Dunkl
What to Eat
Edible parts: Shoots
The young shoots are eaten as an emergency food.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. In Argentina it grows below 100 m above sea level. It grows in the swampy edges of streams. In Guatemala it grows up to 1,500 m above sea level.
Africa, Argentina, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Central America, East Africa, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Mozambique, North America, Panama, Paraguay, South America, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela, West Indies,
How to Identify
A sedge. These grow in clumps and have grass like leaves and solid stalks. They have rough edges. It grows 1-3 m tall. The stalks are 3 sided. The leaves on the stems are 60-120 cm long by 6-20 mm wide.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Cladium mariscus is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family known by the common names swamp sawgrass, great fen-sedge, saw-sedge or sawtooth sedge. Previously it was known as elk sedge. It is native of temperate Europe and Asia where it grows in base-rich boggy areas and lakesides. It can be up to 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) tall, and has leaves with hard serrated edges. In the past, it was an important material to build thatched roofs; harvesting it was an arduous task due to its sharp edges that can cause deep lacerations.
Notes
There are 3 Cladium species. There are alkaloids in the nutlets.
Names & Synonyms
Djeca
References (6)
- Inst. rei herb. 1:362. 1766
- Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 238 (As Cladium jamaicense)
- Plants of Haiti Smithsonian Institute http://botany.si.edu/antilles/West Indies (As Cladium jamaicense)
- Smith, N., Mori, S.A., et al, 2004, Flowering Plants of the Neotropics. Princeton. p 436
- Simpson, D. A. & Inglis, C. A., 2001, Cyperaceae of Economic, Ethnobotanical and Horticultural Importance: A checklist. Kew Bulletin Vol. 56, No. 2 (2001), pp. 257-360
- Standley, P. & Steyermark, J., 1958, Flora of Guatemala. Fieldiana: Botany, Volume 24 part 1 p 112 (As Cladium jamaicense)
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