giant+papyrus+_+cyperus+giganteus

Photo: http://www.floridahillnursery.com/foliage-n-flowers-c-15/cyperus-papyrus-plant-giganteus-live-plant-p-345

__**Facts:**__
 * Height: 10-15 feet
 * Reproduction: Rhizomes
 * Bloom Time: Mid-summer through early fall
 * Sun: Full to partial

__**Uses****:**__ Photo: http://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soubor:Blank_papyrus_paper.jpg
 * __Food__: source for larvae of some Lepidoptera species; seeds and tubers for small birds and mammals
 * __Medicine:__
 * __Injury__: Ash used to heal wounds, Egypt
 * __Sensory system__: Ash used to treat certain eye diseases, Egypt
 * __Digestive System Disorders:__ Ash used to prevent spread of malignant ulcers, Egypt
 * __Genito-Urinary System Disorders:__ Rhizome-decoction with with sap of Maytenus Senegalensis (Celastraceae) used to treat female sterility, Tanzania
 * __Fibers:__ Paper (seen below), rope, roofing and matting

__**Water Purification****:**__ Sediments and pollutants entering the water are trapped by root systems. Stands act as carbon sinks and offer crucial habitat for birds as well as breeding grounds for fish and grazing fields for wild herbivores throughout the dry seasons. Papyrus swamps are often compared to mangrove stands due to their similarities in ecosystem functions.

__**Sources**__ >
 * Simpson, David & Inglis, Cecilia. 2001. //Cyperaceae of Economic, Ethnobotanical and Horticultural Importance: A Checklist.// __Kew Bulletin__, Vol. 56, No. 2. pp. 257-360. Springer on behalf of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2/15/2012. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4110962
 * Terer, Taita. et al. 2012. //Integrating local ecological knowledge and management practices of an isolated semi-arid papyrus swamp (Loboi, Kenya) into a wider conservation framework.// __Journal of Environmental Management__, Vol. 93, Issue 1. pp. 71-84.
 * Chen, Yan. et al. 2009. //Nitrogen and Phosphorous Removal by Ornamental and Wetland Plants in a Greenhouse Recirculation Research System.// __HortScience__. Vol. 44 no. 6 1704-1711
 * Gichuji, J. et al. 2001//. Species inventory and the local uses of the plants and fishes o the Lower Sondu Miriu wetland o Lake Victoria, Kenya.// __Hydrobiologia__. 458: 99-106