Eleocharis dulcis
(Burm. f.) Trinius ex Henschel
Edible spike rush, Chinese water-chestnut
(c) Russell Cumming, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Russell Cumming
(c) Vatcharavee Sriprasertsil, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Tubers, Corms, Vegetable, Roots
The corm is delicious eaten raw or cooked — sweet and crisp when fully ripe, and starchy before that. It is widely used in Chinese cooking, especially in chop suey. The dried, ground corm yields a flour or starch used to thicken sauces and give a crisp coating to deep-fried foods. Each corm is about 4cm in diameter and contains around 36% starch. The plant is also used for making salt in Zimbabwe. Nutritional content per 100g dry weight (360 calories, 0% water): Protein 8g, Fat 1.2g, Carbohydrate 86g, Fibre 3.5g, Ash 5.5g; Calcium 22mg, Phosphorus 350mg, Iron 3.5mg, Sodium 70mg, Potassium 2450mg; Thiamine (B1) 0.4mg, Riboflavin (B2) 0.5mg, Niacin 5mg, Vitamin C 25mg.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It suits tropical and subtropical locations. It suits humid monsoonal conditions. It is found in the Philippines in open wet places and shallow water throughout the islands. It grows in fresh water swampy grounds or in shallow water. It grows in wetlands. It is also found in rice fields. It needs at least 220 frost free days. It needs a soil temperature above 14-15.5°C for germination of the corms. It needs a pH of 6.9-7.3. It can be grown up to 1,200 m altitude. It suits plant hardiness zones 9-12.
Africa, American Samoa, Asia, Australia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China, East Africa, East Timor, Fiji, FSM, Gambia, Ghana, Guam, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Hawaii, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Japan-Ryukyu Islands, Korea, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Micronesia, Mozambique, Myanmar, New Caledonia, Nigeria, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Pohnpei, Samoa, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa - Natal, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tasmania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Torres Strait, USA, Vietnam, West Africa,
How to Identify
A herb which grows in water. It is a tufted sedge with round green stems. The bases are covered with brown sheaths. The stem is about a metre high and 1 cm across. It grows 30-200 cm high. From the top of each planted corm, several slender horizontal rhizomes radiate out into the mud, each terminating in a corm. The edible part consists of a flattened corm. The rhizome is short. Under the ground there are stolons bearing tubers. The tubers are almost round and have 4-6 distinct rings. They are about 1 cm across but can be 4 cm across. They are dark brown. The stems are tufted and slender. There are fine lines along the stems. The leaves are reduced to thin tube like sheaths. These are purplish. Each plant produces these long tubular leaves that project above the water surface. The flower spike is on the end of the plant. There are many flowers. The flowers are 1.5-6 cm long by 3-6 mm wide. The fruit is a nut 1.5-2 mm long.
Nutrition Score: 57/100
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corm drier | 50.8 | 635 | 152 | 3.7 | — | 52 | 95 | 1.9 |
| Corm | 79.6 | 268 | 64 | 1.4 | 0 | 5 | 0.7 | 0.5 |
How to Grow
Plants can be grown by division or tubers. They are put in holes 20-30 cm deep. Fields are flooded after planting then allowed to drain. When top growth is 20-30 cm high fields are flooded to at least 10-12.5 cm. A spacing of 75 cm x 75 cm is suitable. 500 kg of corms per hectare are required for planting.
Propagation: No specific details are available for this species, but sowing seed as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse is suggested. Only just cover the seed and stand the pot in 3cm of water to keep the soil consistently wet. Once seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and grow on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Alternatively, harvest tubers at the end of the growing season, store in a cool but frost-free place over winter, and plant out in early spring.
Medicinal Uses
The plant is used to treat abdominal pain, amenorrhoea, hernia, and liver problems. Juice expressed from the corms is bactericidal and contains the antibiotic puchiin, which is effective against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Aerobacter aerogenes.
Other Uses
The leaf stems are used for weaving bags and similar items. In Sumatra and Sulawesi, stems are made into sleeping mats, and in Papua New Guinea they are used to make skirts. The plant is suitable for aquaculture systems and as a wetland plant to help improve water quality and habitat. Stems can also be used as cattle feed or as mulch.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Eleocharis dulcis, the Chinese water chestnut or water chestnut, is a grass-like sedge native to Asia, tropical Africa, and Oceania. It is grown in many countries for its edible corms, but if eaten uncooked, the surface of the plants may transmit fasciolopsiasis. The water caltrop, which also is referred to by the same name, is unrelated and often confused with the water chestnut.
Production
Corms mature after 7-8 months. Yields of 20-40 t per ha are possible.
Other Information
It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. The corms are canned and exported. They are sold in local markets.
Notes
There are about 160-200 Eleocharis species. There are 60 species in tropical America.
Names & Synonyms
Ankurladj, Apulid, Biqi, Buslig, Chee-Chang, Chikai, Chinese Water Chestnut, Go nung, Ground-chestnut, Haeo cheen, Haeo-song krathiem, Inu kuro guwai, Kakthum, Kirlinja, Kokthum, Kurogu-wai, Kuwai, Li zi, M'pofa, Ma Ti, Ma-Tai, Macre, Mampufa, Mardhar, Mem plong khtim, Okuroguwai, Pani phul, Po-chi, Singhara, Tall spike-rush, Tike, Uchaga-lane, 'Utu'utu, Waterchestnut, Waternut, Wetmye-u, Ye thit eir thee
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