Cyperus conglomeratus Rottb.
ثنده، عندب، عنقود، قصب الرمال، قّدي، سعد البحر
For people
- Eaten by people
- Unknown
- Toxic to people
- Unknown
For livestock
- Grazed by livestock
- Limited fodder
- Toxic to livestock
- Unknown
Edibility and safety notes
No reliable record of people eating any part of this sedge was found; it should not be treated as a food plant. It is used in traditional medicine (diarrhoea, intestinal parasites) and no human poisoning is reported. The source field guide rates it good grazing for camels. An Egyptian analysis found high protein but also high levels of saponins, tannins and alkaloids, and its authors questioned its suitability as fodder, so its safety for other livestock is not established.
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Description
A tufted perennial sedge, 4-30 cm tall, with a short rhizome producing tillers and tomentose roots. Stem is 1-2.5 mm diameter, obtusely trigonous. Leaf sheaths are stiff yellow-brown to dark brown, disintegrating into fibres. Inflorescence ranges from a single spike to a small anthelodium.
Habitat
Adapted to dry hot regions. Thrives in sandy areas including dunes and roadside sand, as well as rocky ridges. Very drought tolerant once established.
Distribution
Native to northern Africa, the Middle East and parts of western Asia.
Pastoral value
Rated good grazing for camels in the source field guide. Its deep roots keep it green into the dry season.
Other uses
Traditionally used in folk medicine for diarrhoea, dysentery and intestinal parasites; in Oman the aromatic rhizomes are used in perfumery and traditionally for rheumatism and as a diuretic. Valued as a sand binder for stabilising dunes, and sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Sources
- الدليل الحقلي المصور للنباتات البرية في سلطنة عُمان (BOOK.pdf p.93)
- Useful Tropical Plants - Cyperus conglomeratus — tropical.theferns.info
- Flora of Qatar - Cyperus conglomeratus — floraofqatar.com
- Nutritional value, mineral composition, secondary metabolites and antioxidant activity of some wild forage plants (Plants 2019) — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Livestock feed resources in the West African Sahel (Agronomy Journal 2022) — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Wikipedia - Cyperus conglomeratus — en.wikipedia.org
- GBIF occurrence records - Cyperus conglomeratus in Oman (70 records) — api.gbif.org