Habitat
Type: marshes, shallow water
Distribution: world, except Amazon basin
Other: patch forming, dislikes very acid or poor soil

General
Growth type: herb
Cycle: perennial
Height: up to 4 meters

Leaf
Shape: long blades
Arrangement: alternate, clasping stem
Other: grey-green

Stem
Cross Section: round, hollow

Flower
Arrangement: feathery clusters at top of stem
Colour:

Care should be taken not to gather plants from polluted water, and to wash all lower parts thoroughly to avoid soil-born contamination.

Blades are sharp.

May to July
April and May
May to September
all year - best March and April, and September to November
June to September
August to October

Parts with black and white icons are for non-culinary use

How to Consume
(partly unfolded) : cooked, flour
(young shoots) cooked
(sugary sap from mature injured stem) raw
cooked, flour

Special preparation
dry, grind
to extract: boil in water and evaporate
As the seed is small and could easily pass through the digestive system, it is best to grind them to allow absorption of nutrients.

Nutrition
carbohydrate, sugar

Used as ...
food
sweetener

Action:
ashes: styptic
antiemetic, refrigerant
anti-asthmatic, antidote, antiemetic, antitussive, depurative, diuretic, febrifuge, lithontripic, sedative, sialagogue, stomachic

May treat:
bronchitis, cholera; ashes: septic wounds
internal (juice or dried powder): diarrhoea, fevers, vomiting, coughs with thick phlegm, lung abscesses, urinary tract infections, food poisoning (especially from sea foods); external (mixed with gypsum): halitosis, toothache
decoction: cholera, food poisoning

Whole plant: alcohol (as fuel), compost, thatching, building, woven goods, insulation, cordage, paper
Living plant: greywater and sewage treatment
light green dye

Collection
best before leaves form

Drying
dry to store

Note
more active dried; infusion: 25g to 1/2 litre

Plant parts:
leaf
stem or trunk
sap
root, bulb, tuber and other below ground parts
flower
fruit
seed

Parts with black and white icons in the availability section are for non-culinary use

Use:
culinary use
medicinal use
household use

Other:
caution

Glossary of Medicinal Terms and Nutritive Substances

• anti-asthmatic: treats asthma
• antidote: counters poisoning
• antiemetic: prevents nausea and vomiting
• antitussive: prevents or relieves coughing
• depurative: eliminates toxins and purifies the system, especially the blood
• diuretic: increases secretion and elimination of urine
• febrifuge: reduces fever; use only for dangerously high temperature; a raised temperature is the body's way of burning up the pathogen
• lithontripic: helps prevent and removes stones from kidneys, bladder etc.
• refrigerant: produces a feeling of coolness
• sedative: calms the nervous system and reduces stress
• sialagogue: stimulates secretion of saliva
• stomachic: treats stomach disorders
• styptic: capable of stopping bleeding when applied to a wound