Echter Papyrus

Historic Crop Industrial Crop: Biomass Management: Hay Regional Crop A plant of the subtropics to the tropics. It can tolerate a mean annual precipitation in the range 100 - 4,200mm, and a mean annual temperatures of 20 - 30?c[269 ]. Succeeds in full sun and in partial shade[200 , 302 , 352 ]. Prefers a fertile, wet soil, or shallow water up to 30cm deep[200 , 302 ]. The plant can tolerate a pH in the range 6.0 - 8.5[269 ]. Plants can spread rapidly by means of their rhizomes[302 ]. Many African swamps are dominated by papyrus thickets, which totally block navigation. It is estimated that the swamp areas of the White Nile, and the 'Papyrus Swamps' around Lake Kioga and Victoria are responsible for the loss of 50% of that river's water through evaporation and plant transpiration[269 ]. Plants can flower throughout the year[269 ].

Edible Parts: Root Stem Edible Uses: The pith of the stem was recommended for food in ancient Egypt[269 ]. Rhizomes and lowermost parts of the stems - raw or cooked[269 ]. They can also be chewed, sucked, and spat out, much as sugar cane is done[269 ].

The fibrous pith of the stems has been utilized for making paper[302 ]. For making paper, the fibrous covering is stripped off the stem and the inner pith is split into wafer-like strips. These strips are then laid side by side, with others placed crosswise on top; the strips are dampened then pressed so that their glue-like sap cements them together. They are then dried into a sheet[269 ].. The plant was also traditionally used to make formal bouquets funeral garlands, boats, cordage, fans, sandals, matting, corkage, boxes, and paper[269 ]. Papyrus stems can be used for caulking seams in wooden ships[269 ]. Papyrus mats are used for making fences and huts[269 ]. The rhizomes are cut into sections and used as beads[520 ].

Heimisch: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, California, Cape Provinces, Caprivi Strip, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, DR Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Florida, Gabon, Gambia, Gambia, The, Guinea, Hawaii, India, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Juan Fernández Is., Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Leeward Is. AB Ant, Liberia, Louisiana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Southwest, Mozambique, Namibia, Nansei-shoto, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Palestine, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Réunion, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad-Tobago, Uganda, Windward Is., Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe Eingeführt: California, Canary Is., Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Florida, Galápagos Islands, Hawaii, India, Jamaica, Juan Fernández Is., Leeward Is., Louisiana, Madeira, Mauritius, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Southwest, Nansei-shoto, Puerto Rico