144 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



grasses tried by him. It is there relished by pasture-animals, 

 which is not always the case in drier localities. 



Cyperus corymbosus, Eottboell. 



India, North-Australia, Madagascar. This stately perennial rush 

 may be chosen to fringe our lakes and ponds. It is extensively 

 used for mats in India. The variety C. Pangorei furnishes the 

 material for the Teiinevilly-matting [W. T. Dyer]. 



Cyperus esculentus, Limit'. 



Southern Europe, Western Asia, various parts of Africa. Produces 

 the " Chufa " or Ground-Almond, an edible root, which contains 

 about 27 per cent, of starch, 17 per cent, of oil and 12 per cent, of 

 saccharine substance ; other (French) analyses give 28 per cent, 

 oil, 29 starch, 14 sugar, 7 gum, 14 cellulose. This plant does not 

 injuriously spread like the C. rotundus, and can be reared on sand- 

 land, though in rich soil the harvest is far more plentiful. The 

 tubers, of which as many as 100 to 150 may be obtained from each 

 plant, are consumed either raw or cooked. Hogs root them up for 

 food. The oil surpasses in excellence of taste all other oils used 

 for culinary purposes. The tubers are a fair substitute for coffee, 

 when properly roasted ; the root-crop is available in from four to 

 six months. The plant may become important in the most dreary 

 and arid desert-countries through naturalisation. In Norway it 

 can be grown to lat, 67 56' [Schuebeler]. The root of the North- 

 American C. phymatodes (Muehlenberg) is also nutty. C. escu- 

 lentus and C. exaltatus (Retzius) are used for mats [Dr. G. Watt]. 



Cyperus Papyrus, Linne. 



The Nile-Papyrus, wild in various regions of Africa. Attains a 

 height of 16 feet. Though no longer strictly a utilitarian plant, as 

 in ancient times, it could scarcely be passed on this occasion, as it 

 ought to become valuable in the horticultural trade. Its grand 

 aspect recommends it as very decorative for aquatic plantations. 



Cyperus Syriacus, Parlatore. 



The Syrian or Sicilian Papyrus. This is the Papyrus-plant, 

 usual in garden-cultivation. It found its way to Australia first 

 through the action of the writer of this work. The plants in the 

 Melbourne Botanic Garden attain a height of 8 feet, but suffer 

 somewhat from frost. Other tall decorative Cyperi deserve intro- 

 duction, for instance : C. giganteus (Bottboell) from the West 

 Indies and Guiana ; these kind of plants being hardier than the 

 generality of others of the same genus from the tropics. 



Cyperus tegfetum, Roxburgh. (C. Malaccensis, Lamarck.) 



North-Eastern Africa, India, China and North-Australia. This 

 Gralingale-Bush might be naturalised on river-banks to obtain 



