Eventually brown, nut-like fruits are produced. The nondescript, greenish-brown flowers that are produced at the ends are wind pollinated. Small, secondary umbels with 3-5 rays and narrow, elongated bracts are produced on the ends of the rays. This is a dense cluster of many bright green, shiny thread-like rays. The non-descript, greenish-brown flowers are wind pollinated.Įach straight stem is topped with an umbellate inflorescence. The thick rhizomes creep horizontally along the soil, anchored by numerous roots. These are triangular in shape and a reddish brown color. The new rhizomes and culm bases are covered by papery scales, which are actually reduced leaves. This herbaceous perennial produces just a few basal leaves and many strong, deep green, triangular (3-sided) stems (culms) from woody rhizomes. Papyrus is a vigorous grower that can grow up to 16 feet tall in its native habitat but the ornamental selections are typically a more modest 3-6 feet. Upright stems topped with airy foliage gives this species a tiered effect that is quite ornamental. The starchy rhizomes and culms are edible, both raw and cooked, and the buoyant stems were used for making small boats. In ancient times it was widely cultivated in the Nile Delta, but now is nearly extinct there. The large, dense populations often line bodies of water. It is native throughout the wetter parts of Africa, Madagascar andĮach stem is topped with feather-duster-like growth.Īround the southern Mediterranean where it occurs in vast stands in swamps, shallow lakes, and along stream banks throughout the wetter parts of Africa. papyrus, also called Egyptian reed or paper reed, is a clump-forming African species hardy in zones 9-12. Papyrus is a sedge (family Cyperaceae) – one of about 600 species in the genus Cyperus – that is probably best known as the source of ancient paper called papyrus. Another remedy to remove a Guinea worm remains in use today, some 3,500 years later.Papyrus is a sedge that naturally grows in shallow water and wet soils. The patient was instructed to inhale the fumes. One example of a medical remedy describes an herbal formula to be heated on a brick for asthma sufferers. It covers such medical subjects as contraception, asthma, bone-setting, dentistry and burns. It illustrates the Egyptians' knowledge of the heart as the center of the body's blood supply, but at the same time contains incantations for getting rid of demons. It has about 700 formulas and remedies of both a magical and herbal nature. ![]() The scroll is about 110 pages long and is considered one of the oldest medical documents in the world. Georg Ebers bought the document in 1873–74 at Luxor. ![]() ![]() It currently resides in the University of Leipzig library in Germany. It contains extensive herbal and medical knowledge and dates back to 1550 BC. The Ebers Papyrus is particularly famous among ancient Egyptian papyri.
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