Cyperus assimilis

Steud.

CyperaceaeRootsShoots

iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Erwin Sieben, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Erwin Sieben

iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) isabellarridon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by isabellarridon

What to Eat

Edible parts: Stems, Root, Tuber

The roots, stem, and tubers are used as vegetables. The stems are eaten as a famine food.

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant. It grows in soils that are sometimes waterlogged. It can grow in arid places.

Africa, East Africa, Kenya, Tanzania,

Countries: Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Comoros, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

An annual herb or sedge in the Cyperaceae family, native to tropical regions. It grows in soils that are sometimes waterlogged and can also tolerate arid places.

Other Information

The stems are a famine food.

Names & Synonyms

Courtoisia assimilis (Steud.) C. B. ClarkeMariscus assimilis (Steud.) Podl.

References (2)

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1999). Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) database. Published on the Internet; http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/internet [Accessed 16th April 2011]
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

What to Eat

Where to Find It

How to Identify

Other Information

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