Umbrella papyrus (Cyperus alternifolius)

Rumput payung or umbrella papyrus or Madagascar umbrella papyrus (Cyperus alternifolius) is a plant species in Cyperaceae, like a very large grass, umbrella-shaped canopy, grows in dry soil and waterlogged, often cultivated as an ornamental plant throughout the world.

C. alternifolius grows to form clumps, has a height of 1-2 m and the top part is composed of protective leaves that shade the flower arrangements. The stem is hollow, unbranched, long, tubular with many linear angles, dark green, hard and sturdy but flexible.

The leaves are arranged radially, stacked and each stem has 10-25 strands. A large bone and several veins are parallel to a length of 15-40 cm and a width of 1.3 cm, a jagged edge, a pointed tip, a rough surface and green.

Spikelet flowers, forming clusters, have long and green stems, crowns shaped in coarse grains, sit on the ends of the stems, greenish brown and come out of the axil bractea or the sides of the bractea.

Umbrella papyrus is widely used for phytoremidiation in wet and humid regions. This species is able to tolerate PhACs (Pharmaceutically Active Compounds) and eliminate COD, nitrate, ammonia and phosphorus. The root is used as an anti-fungal and anti-bacterial.

Widely used as ornamental plants, potted plants and garden plants or pond plants. Generally used as a water ornamental plant and planted to beautify a pond or water park landscape. The leaves are also used as fillers for flower arrangements.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Poales
Family: Cyperaceae
Subfamily: Cyperoideae
Tribe: Cypereae
Genus: Cyperus
Species: Cyperus alternifolius
Subspecies: Cyperus alternifolius ssp. alternifolius, Cyperus alternifolius ssp. flabelliformis

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