| DESCRIPTION: A perennial, succulent, aquatic grass reaching 50-130 cm in height. The stems rise up to about 90-120 cm in height out of the water. The long narrow leaves float on the water and lie in the direction of the stream flow (if any). USE: The seed are edible raw or cooked. A flour from the seed is said to make a bread little inferior to wheat bread, the flour can also be used as a thickener in soups etc when it imparts a sweet delicate flavour. The leaves have been burnt as an incense. GROWING PERIOD: Perennial. COMMON NAMES: Float grass, Northern mannagrass, Mannagrass, Marsh bedstraw, Floating sweet-grass. FURTHER INF: It grows in shallow water, either stagnant or slow flowing, of streams, ditches, ponds, rivers, lakes, canals or on the muddy margins of these and in marshes and wet soil. It grows submerged in shallow water or on wet soil. It prefers rich soils but is not very particular to soil type and can grow on sandy, loamy and light clay soils. Heavy clay is suitable. It can be found in North America it is found between 34-60°C and in Europe between 37-65°N. |
