| DESCRIPTION: It is an evergreen, perennial, herbaceous plant reaching 0.7-1.5 m in height. It can grow and spread quite fast. USE: The root is edible and it can be used as a spice in soups, pies and sweets. The leaves are used in basketry and for weaving hats, matting etc. The root and stem have the scent of violets and are used in perfumery. The root has medicinal properties and the plant is used as an ornamental. GROWING PERIOD: Perennial. COMMON NAMES: Galingale, Cyperus, English galingale, Sweet cyperus. FURTHER INF: It grows by or in water in ditches, ponds, bog gardens and marshy soils. It thrives in moist sandy loam but is not very particular to soil type and succeeds in any good garden soil so long as it does not dry out. It however requires moist or wet soil and can grow in water to a depth of 30 cm. Withstands some salinity and poor soils. It can be found in northern and central Africa to Kenya and Nigeria, around the Mediterranean, southern and central Europe, western Asia and central Asia to India. |
