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GENERAL
Origin
:
Mediterranean,
sub-tropical,
tropical
Vigour
:
fairly fast
growing
Humidity
:
semi-arid, semi-
humid, very
humid
Propagation :
cuttings, division
Maintenance :
moderate
CONDITIONS
Urban climate :
vulnerable
Dessication :
vulnerable
Stagnant water :
resistant
Irrigation
:
high
Salinity/ppm :
moderate (1800
ppm)
Hardiness
:
-6°C
SHAPE
Type
:
perennial
Height
:
0.4 m-1.5 m
Spread
:
0.7 m-2 m
Foliage
:
evergreen
FLOWER
Colour
:
light brown
Size
:
10 cm
Period
:
June - August
FRUIT
Type of fruit :
caryopsis
Fruit size
:
0.1 cm
The Umbrella Plant is a grass-like, subtropical perennial native to southern Africa and Madagas-
car. Now regularly seen in Arriyadh, it was previously observed or was planted close to water,
but now seems to have ‘escaped’ and has seeded itself successfully in drier soils. It grows upright
culms with flat, linear leaves radiated on top. The plants are evergreen and grow to 1 metre in
height. Ideal habitats are moist with a high nutrient content. Spreading rhizomes form huge
clumps that may capture riverbanks and pond-sides. In summer, plain, brown flowers occur
on top of the whorls. Umbrella Plants are grown for their picturesque appearance. They give a
lush, exotic impact next to any kind of water feature. They are one of the few plants adapted to
waterlogged sites, but also tolerate locations with average moisture, where they are less invasive.
Partial sun suits them best. Frost kills the plant’s foliage but it revives as soon as temperatures
rise again in spring. They are readily propagated by seeds or may be divided at any time of the
year. Maintenance is limited to the occasional removal of dead or unsightly leaves. If neglected in
suitable environments, small, shallow ponds and swamps may be overgrown. Umbrella Plants are
generally traded as Cyperus alternifolius or mistaken for their larger relatives, Papyrus. A dwarf
type is Cyperus involucratus f. gracilis, with a height of some 30 cm suitable for containers and
even pots to grow indoors. A cultivar called ‘Variegatus’ reaches about 1.2 metres and has white
leaf margins.
126
Cyperus involucratus,
Cyperaceae
Umbrella Plant