Cyperaceae

Sedge Family

Water Sedge

FAMILY: Sedge family (Cyperaceae) – Carex genus.

SPECIES: Water sedge (Carex aquatilis Wahlenb.).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: The stem bases of water sedge are edible. As the name indicates, water sedge is an aquatic plant, and aquatic habitats tend to be on private land, overrun by invasive species, or rather scarce in the Southwest. Water sedge was never encountered during the fieldwork conducted for this reference.

IDENTIFICATION: This highly complex genus has about 625 species in the United States, so positive identification borders on the edge of impossible. Pistils (and later the achenes) of sedges are enclosed within sac-like bracts called perigynium. Only the styles and stigmas protrude through an opening at the top. Scales subtend the perigynium, both of which attach to the rachilla of the spikelets. No other genera in the sedge family have pistils enclosed by perigynium. Important features of water sedge include: stalked spikelets with male flowers on top, black scales, 2 stigmas, and lens-shaped achenes. Most species are monoecious.

Description of water sedge (Carex aquatilis): FORM aquatic, grass-like plant about 3-12 dm tall spreading by rhizomes; monoecious (male and female flower separate, but on the same plant); STEMS (clums) solitary or a few from the rhizomes; collectively forming dense colonies; LEAVES simple; alternate; blades linear; margins entire; surfaces nonglaucous; FLOWERS (spikelets) cylindrical, 3-7 per inflorescence, each one solitary in the axil of a leaf-like bract, the bracts often exceeding the inflorescences; upper spikelets male; lower spikelets female and often on short peduncles; perianth (petals and sepals) absent; pistillate scales blunt, purplish-black and with paler midribs not reaching the tips; ovaries superior; styles 1; stigmas 2; stamens 3; FRUITS achenes lens-shaped (lenticular); perigynium (bracts enclosing the achenes) flat, obovate, 2-3 mm long, hairless, reddish-brownish-green, and topped by 2 persistent plume-like stigmas that are longer than the bodies; beaks of the perigynium poorly developed; HABITAT wetlands throughout the western and northern United States, growing up to the timberline; blooming in summer.

REFERENCES: Water sedge (Carex aquatilis): stem bases Moerman (p. 72).

Flatsedges

FAMILY: Sedge family (Cyperaceae) – Cyperus genus.

SPECIES: #1 redroot flatsedge or nutgrass (Cyperus erythrorhizos Muhl.). #2 chufa or yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.). #3 Fendler’s flatsedge or nutgrass (Cyperus fendlerianus Boeckeler). #4 fragrant or rusty flatsedge (Cyperus odoratus L.). #5 purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L.). #6 bearded nutsedge (Cyperus squarrosus L. = Cyperus aristatus Rottb. = Cyperus inflexus Muhl.).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: Species reported to have edible roots include numbers: 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Species with edible seeds include numbers: 1, 2, and 4. Roots and seeds of flatsedges, also known as nutsedges, were important resources to Native Americans. A few species were even cultivated. Keep in mind that plants growing in aquatic habitats often harbor dangerous parasites and need to be cooked.

NOTES: Most of the flatsedges encountered during the fieldwork conducted for this reference were not the edible ones listed above. Several of them had starchy stem bases that fit the general description of “earth almonds,” which are the tubers of chufa (C. esculentus), a common species throughout warmer parts of the northern hemisphere. Earth almonds have a color and texture somewhat like stale almonds and a flavor somewhat like potatoes combined with a muddy accent. Roasting them brings out a nutty accent, and boiling them softens the firm texture. Stems of the species that I sampled tasted mild, grassy, and similar to those of bulrushes. Although the flavors were consistently appealing, the textures were often irritating due to splinter-like fibers. The achenes were a much better wild food than the stems. None of them were significantly different from those of bulrushes described in the following section.

IDENTIFICATION: Approximately 125 species of the Cyperus genus are found in the United States, of which about 30 occur in the Southwest and Great Basin. Sedges (Cyperaceae) look similar to grasses (Poaceae) and rushes (Juncaceae), but there are some obvious differences. Members of the grass family typically have 2 bracts (glumes) at the bases of their spikelets. Members of the sedge family lack these bracts. Sedges usually have numerous spikelets, while grasses usually have only 1-15 spikelets arranged in zigzag patterns along the axes. Sedges typically have solid, herbaceous, triangular stems. Grasses typically have dry, hollow, round stems. Leaves of grasses are generally distributed along the stems, while those of sedges tend to be crowded near the flowers or at ground level. Sedges have scales, hairs, or bristles representing the perianth (petals and sepals). Seeds and flowers of grasses are usually enclosed between 2 scales (lemma and palea), while those of sedges are usually subtended by a single scale. Grasses typically have 2 feathery stigmas, while sedges have 2-3 slender stigmas. Rushes always have 3 slender stigmas. Worldwide, the sedge family has about 4,500 species. Over twice that number belong to the grass family. Flatsedges have spikelets arranged in flat rows, while bulrushes have spikelets arranged in spirals.

Description of flatsedges (the Cyperus genus): FORM grass-like plants that are usually perennial, rhizomatous, and aquatic; some species producing tuberous rootstocks; STEMS round or triangular in cross section; LEAVES simple; usually basal, sometimes absent; FLOWERS perfect, positioned in the axils of scales, and not enclosed by sac-like bracts (perigynium); SPIKELETS numerous, and with the scales arranged in two vertical rows (never spirally); scales 5 to many, keeled, and subtending all the flowers; perianth absent, and lacking hairs or bristles; stigmas and style branches usually 3 (only a few species have 2 of these parts); stamens 1-3 (usually 3); FRUITS achenes one-seeded and usually 3-sided (only a few species have lens-shaped achenes); fruit walls (pericarp) thin and free from the seeds; endosperm abundant; HABITAT wetlands throughout the Southwest and elsewhere; blooming nearly throughout the year.

REFERENCES: #1 redroot flatsedge (Cyperus erythrorhizos): seeds Gifford (p. 24) and Ebeling (p. 355). #2 chufa or yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus): tubers Couplan (p. 462), Ebeling (p. 144), and Moerman (p. 97); seeds Couplan (p. 462). #3 Fendler’s flatsedge (Cyperus fendlerianus): tubers Castetter (1936 p. 47) and Ebeling (p. 466). #4 fragrant flatsedge (Cyperus odoratus): tubers Moerman (p. 97); seeds Castetter (1951 p. 192) and Couplan (p. 463). #5 purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus): tubers Couplan (p. 463) and Murphey (p. 16). #6 bearded nutsedge (Cyperus squarrosus = Cyperus aristatus = Cyperus inflexus): tubers Castetter (1935-a p. 25) and Ebeling (p. 466).

Bulrushes

 and closely related plants

FAMILY: Sedge family (Cyperaceae) – Amphiscirpus, Bolboschoenus, Schoenoplectus, and Scirpus genera. Name changes are common in these genera.

SPECIES: #1 tule or hardstem bulrush (Schoenoplectus acutus (Muhl. ex Bigelow) Á. Löve & D. Löve var. acutus = Scirpus acutus Muhl. ex Bigelow). #2 American threesquare (Schoenoplectus americanus (Pers.) Volkart ex Schinz & R. Keller = Scirpus americanus Pers.). #3 California bulrush (Schoenoplectus californicus (C. A. Mey.) Soják = Scirpus californicus (C. A. Mey.) Steud.). #4 cosmopolitan bulrush (Bolboschoenus maritimus (L.) Palla = Schoenoplectus maritimus (L.) Lye = Scirpus maritimus L. = Scirpus paludosus A. Nelson). #5 Nevada bulrush (Amphiscirpus nevadensis (S. Watson) Oteng-Yeb. = Scirpus nevadensis S. Watson). #6 common threesquare (Schoenoplectus pungens (Vahl) Palla var. pungens = Scirpus pungens Vahl). #7 saltmarsh or sturdy bulrush (Bolboschoenus robustus (Pursh) Soják = Schoenoplectus robustus (Pursh) M. T. Strong = Scirpus robustus Pursh). #8 softstem or great bulrush (Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani (C. C. Gmel.) Palla = Scirpus tabernaemontani C. C. Gmel. = Scirpus validus Vahl).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: Roots, shoots, stems, pollen, and seeds of all species listed above are edible. These species are native to North America and many of them were very important resources to Native Americans. Bulrushes are versatile plants that can be used for many purposes other than food, such as making floor mats, baskets, cordage, footwear, and other woven items. They were even used to make canoes.

Tule (S. acutus), also called hardstem bulrush, is essentially the same as softstem bulrush, except for some minor taxonomic differences barely worth mentioning. Tule is an extraordinary resource. The rhizomes are thick, tough, and stringy. It’s a uniform texture approaching the firmness of wood, yet still cuttable with a durable knife. Inner portions are pinkish-brown and surrounded by reddish-black skins. Aquatic plants often taste like the water in which they reside. Considering the quality of southwestern water sources, the flavor is surprisingly good. It combines a complex sweetness with a marshy overtone. No cultivated foods are comparable. Chunks of tule rhizomes are perfect for soups and stews, assuming the texture is soft enough. Some rhizomes remain tough even after thorough cooking. Collecting the rhizomes is labor intensive, but well worth the effort. They’re available year-round and become an important resource in winter. Of course, gathering them when lakes are frigid or frozen can be difficult or impossible. The stems are another important resource. Tule stems can be eaten as soon as they emerge in spring until they wither in summer. The raw flavor is predominantly grassy with a starchy overtone, while the texture is chewy, spongy, and fibrous. Healthy stems are thick, round, solid, and salad green. Interior portions have a white, cell-like appearance. Withered stems turn brown and signal the approaching seed harvesting season. Tule produces mass quantities of valuable seeds that once contributed significantly to the ancestral diet. Tule seeds are contained within crunchy shell-like achenes that are subtended by bristles. When eaten raw, the achenes taste grain-like with a marshy overtone. Toasting eliminates the marshy overtone and produces a flavor similar to wheat germ. Achene shells need to be removed or ground into fine powder. Tule achenes mature in summer. Overall, tule is a valuable resource found throughout much of North America.

American threesquare (S. americanus) ranks among the lower-quality species in the genus. All the parts are mediocre compared to those of preferable species like tule, softstem, and cosmopolitan bulrush. Rhizomes are thin, wiry, and without corms. Stem bases are low in carbohydrates and barely worth the effort of harvesting. Stems are small, tough, spongy, and sharply triangular. Seed heads only bear a few seeds. Of all these parts, the seeds are the best. American threesquare is found primarily in the western United States, Mexico, and South America, and to a lesser extent in Europe and Australia. Despite its deficiencies, it’s still a valuable resource.

California bulrush (S. californicus) is found primarily in the southern United States, Mexico, and South America. Long before the arrival of Europeans, it was cultivated in South America as a source of vegetables and weaving material (Hanelt pp. 2429-2430). Rhizomes and shoots were the parts used as vegetables. California bulrush is as big as tule, about 1 to 4 meters tall, and differs from tule primarily by having triangular stems. Rhizomes of these species are 5 to 20 mm thick by several meters long. Harvesting times for the various parts are the same for both species. Overall, California bulrush is an important resource.

Cosmopolitan bulrush (Bolboschoenus maritimus) is an excellent resource. Not all bulrushes are created equal, and cosmopolitan bulrush stands among the best. It produces thick corms and extraordinary seeds. The corms can easily reach the size of golf balls and range in firmness from hard to harder. A quality knife can manage the corms, but a dollar store knife would be the wrong tool. Smashing the corms with a rock is more expedient than trying to chop them. Boiling may fail to adequately soften the corms. Chewing small pieces of boiled corms shouldn’t necessitate dental work, but a firm texture can be expected. The flavor is mild, starchy, potato-like, and similar to earth almonds of the Cyperus genus. It’s a clean flavor, free of bitterness and pond-like overtones. The texture (aside from being firm) is coarse, dry, and gritty. A few fibers may also be noticeable. Grinding the dried corms yields high-quality flour. Only 2 southwestern species produce corms. For this reason, cosmopolitan bulrush is often placed in the Bolboschoenus genus (Bolbo means bulb and schoenos means rush or reed). Cosmopolitan bulrush also produces high-quality achenes that are easy to gather and easy to process. Bristles are weakly attached and readily fall off during the winnowing process. Simply grinding the achenes followed by sifting yields nearly pure flour without any shells. Toasting the flour imparts a grain-like flavor with a nutty accent. It also masks any marshy accents that may be present. Another processing option is to grind, boil, and filter the whole achenes. This produces a starchy broth suitable for soups, stews, or beverages. Filtering removes the annoying shell fragments while allowing dissolved starches to pass. Further concentration by boiling off the excess water thickens the beverage and increases the carbohydrate value. Cosmopolitan is a good name for this bulrush. It’s found on every continent except Antarctica and it’s especially common in western North America and Europe. Cosmopolitan bulrush is one of the plants that made life possible for the first humans on Earth.

Nevada bulrush (Amphiscirpus nevadensis) is found in the western parts of North and South America. It differs from all Schoenoplectus species by having prominently fringed ligules (appendages where the leaf blades and leaf sheaths meet), beakless achenes, and stems that lack spongy, cell-like, air cavities (aerenchyma). It’s the only species in the Amphiscirpus genus. Nevada bulrush is a grass-like species that’s probably best utilized as a source of seeds, and that’s because the other parts are rather small. 

Common threesquare (S. pungens) is very similar to American threesquare described above, especially in terms of edibility. Differences occur in overall size, achenes, and stem geometry. Common threesquare is smaller, but it can furnish an impressive amount of seeds. Common is a good name for this plant. It’s found on almost every continent, including North America. Compared to preferable species, the rhizomes, shoots, and stem bases are too small to be worth gathering. Common threesquare is best utilized as a source of seeds, which typically mature in late spring or summer, depending on elevation.

Saltmarsh bulrush (Bolboschoenus robustus) is found primarily along ocean coasts in North and South America. In the southwestern United States, it’s restricted to California. Unlike most species, it produces corms at the stem bases. Saltmarsh bulrush is closely related to cosmopolitan bulrush and may taste similar. The corms are a distinctive feature of both species. Due to the limited range of saltmarsh bulrush, it won’t be of much value to most southwestern foragers. 

Softstem bulrush (S. tabernaemontani) produces thick, round, soft, solid, spongy, grass-flavored stems that are pleasant to chew fresh or cooked. Interiors have a cellular texture. Except for a few carbohydrates, the stems are all fiber and impossible to digest. Chewing breaks them into gum-like debris that refuses to break up any further. Stem bases provide much more caloric value than upper portions of the stems. Starches are concentrated in the stem bases, and the rhizomes contain even more starches. Rhizomes of softstem bulrush are well worth the effort of gathering. They’re available year-round and become an important resource in winter. Of course, gathering them when lakes are frigid or frozen can be difficult or impossible. Skins of the rhizomes are thin, papery, and reddish-brown. Interiors are thick, tough, and dull white. Some pink or yellow highlights are normal. Boiling may fail to adequately soften the rhizomes, but it yields a delicious broth loaded with carbohydrates. Concentrating this broth produces a sweet beverage. Achenes of softstem bulrush are another good resource. They’re essentially the same as those described under cosmopolitan bulrush, except for being smaller and more labor intensive to harvest. They typically mature in summer. Flour made from the achenes is delicious. Overall, softstem bulrush is a valuable resource.

IDENTIFICATION: About 25-30 species of the Schoenoplectus genus are found in the United States, of which about 10 occur in the Southwest. Important features of bulrushes include: spikelets with spirally arranged scales, flowers not enveloped by sac-like bracts (perigynium), bristly perianth parts that persist on the fruits, and smooth achenes with beaks rather than cap-like tubercles of a different color. The Cyperus, Kyllinga, and Schoenus genera differ by having spikelets with vertically arranged scales. Sedges of the Carex genus differ by having flowers and fruits enveloped by perigynium. Spike-rushes of the Eleocharis genus differ by having solitary spikelets not subtended by bracts and cap-like tubercles on the achenes. Cladium and Fimbristylis lack perianth bristles. Scirpus has no significant differences.

Description of bulrushes (the Scirpus and Schoenoplectus genera): FORM annual to perennial grass-like aquatic plants; often rhizomatous; STEMS round or triangular in cross section; usually solid; LEAVES simple; arranged basally or alternately; blades grass-like or scale-like; linear or greatly reduced; FLOWERS perfect; SPIKELETS 1 to many, arranged individually or in heads or in panicles; scales of spikelets arranged in spirals; perianth consisting of 1-6 bristles; style bases not enlarged; stamens 2-3 (usually 3); FRUITS achenes lens-shaped or triangular; often with short beaks and persistent perianth bristles; not enveloped by bracts (perigynium); and without cap-like tubercles; surfaces usually smooth; HABITAT wetlands throughout the United States.

REFERENCES: Kirk (pp. 175-176) indicates that the roots, shoots, stem bases, pollen, and seeds of all species in the Scirpus genus are edible. At the time his book Wild Edible Plants of Western North America was published, most species of the Schoenoplectus genus, including the following ones, were part of the Scirpus genus. #1 tule (Schoenoplectus acutus var. acutus = Scirpus acutus): roots Ebeling (p. 812), Couplan (pp. 463-464) and Moerman (pp. 241-242); shoots Ebeling (p. 812); stem bases Moerman (pp. 241-242); pollen Ebeling (p. 812); seeds Ebeling (p. 812) and Moerman (pp. 241-242). #2 American threesquare (Schoenoplectus americanus = Scirpus americanus): roots, shoots, pollen and seeds Ebeling (p. 812). #3 California bulrush (Schoenoplectus californicus = Scirpus californicus): roots, shoots, pollen and seeds Ebeling (p. 812). #4 cosmopolitan bulrush (Bolboschoenus maritimus = Schoenoplectus maritimus = Scirpus maritimus = Scirpus paludosus): roots and seeds Moerman (p. 242). #5 Nevada bulrush (Amphiscirpus nevadensis = Scirpus nevadensis): roots Couplan (pp. 463-464), Ebeling (p. 812), and Moerman (p. 242); shoots, pollen and seeds Ebeling (p. 812). #6 common threesquare (Schoenoplectus pungens var. pungens = Scirpus pungens): seeds Fowler (p. 67) and Moerman (p. 242). #7 saltmarsh or sturdy bulrush (Bolboschoenus robustus = Schoenoplectus robustus = Scirpus robustus): roots Moerman (p. 242); shoots Moerman (p. 242); pollen Ebeling (p. 812); seeds Ebeling (p. 812). #8 softstem bulrush (Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani = Scirpus tabernaemontani = Scirpus validus): roots, shoots, pollen and seeds Ebeling (p. 812); stem bases Moerman (p. 242).