dcsimg
Image of Earth Almond
Creatures » » Plants » » Dicotyledons » » Sedges »

Earth Almond

Cyperus esculentus L.

Comments

provided by eFloras
Cyperus esculentus is a widespread and polymorphic species. Although seven varieties have been recognized (G. Kükenthal (1935–1936), recent studies based primarily on spikelet features provided support for four varieties (P. Schippers et al. 1995). Cyperus esculentus var. esculentus is restricted to the Old World.
license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of North America Vol. 23: 168 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of North America @ eFloras.org
editor
Flora of North America Editorial Committee
project
eFloras.org
original
visit source
partner site
eFloras

Comments

provided by eFloras
Often mixed with pale coloured races of the polymorphic C.rotundus, but stolons more slender and tubers more regularly zoned, glumes less closely imbricating and glume side with several distinct, pale nerves.
license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of Pakistan Vol. 206: 109 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of Pakistan @ eFloras.org
editor
S. I. Ali & M. Qaiser
project
eFloras.org
original
visit source
partner site
eFloras

Description

provided by eFloras
Herbs, perennial, stoloniferous; stolons soft, spongy, flexible when dried, 2–8(–15) cm, bearing tubers (3–)6–11 mm diam. Culms trigonous, 15–60 (–100) cm × 0.6–3.4 mm, glabrous. Leaves 3–7, flat to V-shaped or flanged V-shaped, (6–)20–40(–80) cm × 2–4 (–6.5) mm. Inflorescences: spikes broadly ellipsoid to ovoid or hemispheric, (12–)18–30 × (12–)18–35 mm; rachis 4–17 mm; rays 4–10, (0.3–)2–12 cm; bracts (3–)4–5(–7), ± horizontal to ascending at 45(–75)°, V-shaped to flanged V-shaped, (1.5–)5–30 cm × 0.5–4 mm; rachilla persistent, wings hyaline, 0.3–0.5 mm wide. Spikelets (3–)10–20(–28), divaricate or ascending, yellowish brown to dark brown, linear to linear-lanceoloid, compressed-quadrangular, (5–)10–20(–55) × (1.2–)1.4–2(–3) mm; floral scales persistent, 6–34, spreading or appressed, ovate-lanceolate, laterally 7–9-ribbed, laterally yellowish brown to dark brown medially brownish, reddish, or greenish, ovate, or ovate-deltate, medially 3-ribbed, 1.8–2.7(–3.4) × (1–)1.5–1.8(–2.4) mm, apex acute or sub-acute. Flowers: anthers (1–)1.2–1.5(–2.1) mm; styles (0.7–)1–1.2(–2.2) mm; stigmas (1.2–)1.8–2.3(–4) mm. Achenes (seldom maturing) brown, sessile, ellipsoid, (1.1–)1.3–1.5(–1.6) × 0.3–0.6(–0.8) mm, apex obtuse, surfaces puncticulate.
license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of North America Vol. 23: 168 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of North America @ eFloras.org
editor
Flora of North America Editorial Committee
project
eFloras.org
original
visit source
partner site
eFloras

Description

provided by eFloras
Perennial, 30-80 cm. Base of stem slightly swollen, with stolons to c. 20 cm, tuber up to 15 mm diam., round or elongate, rooting, covered by greyish-brown scales. Stem 2-3 mm diam., trigonous, smooth. Leaves shorter than stem; sheaths 50(-100) mm, yellowish or greyish brown, sometimes with reddish tint, mouth margin nearly straight or lingulate; blades to 30(-60) cm, to 5 mm wide, yellow-green, keeled, margin slightly revolute, smooth or towards apex scabrous, apex acute, trigonous, scabrous. Inflorescence an anthelodium, primary rays to more than 10, to 80 mm; lowest 2-3 bracts leaf-like, up to 30 cm, 5 mm wide, sheathless; primary branches end with often more than 20 spreading spikes in irregular spiral, but small secondary anthelodia frequent. Spikes up to 15 x c. 1.5 mm, elongating after flowering, with 5-12 flowers; glume-like bract c. 2 mm, glume-like prophyll two-veined, c. 1.5 mm, base swollen; rachis compressed, slightly zigzagging, internodes c. 1 mm, winged; glumes 2-2.5 mm, cymbiform, blunt, yellow-brown, with 5-9 conspicuous veins, mid-vein strong, with short mucro below glume apex, margins scarious. Nut c. 1.5 mm, ovoid or obovoid, obtusely trigonous, yellow-brown or dark-brown, surface reticulate-papillose.
license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of Pakistan Vol. 206: 109 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of Pakistan @ eFloras.org
editor
S. I. Ali & M. Qaiser
project
eFloras.org
original
visit source
partner site
eFloras

Distribution

provided by eFloras
S. Europe, Africa, India, Nepal, America.
license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Annotated Checklist of the Flowering Plants of Nepal Vol. 0 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Annotated Checklist of the Flowering Plants of Nepal @ eFloras.org
author
K.K. Shrestha, J.R. Press and D.A. Sutton
project
eFloras.org
original
visit source
partner site
eFloras

Distribution

provided by eFloras
Distribution: Concentrated in tropical and subtropical Africa, but a weed in all continents; formerly cultivated, especially in the Mediterranean, for edible tubers rich in carbohydrates and oil (earth almond, chufa).
license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of Pakistan Vol. 206: 109 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of Pakistan @ eFloras.org
editor
S. I. Ali & M. Qaiser
project
eFloras.org
original
visit source
partner site
eFloras

Elevation Range

provided by eFloras
100-2300 m
license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Annotated Checklist of the Flowering Plants of Nepal Vol. 0 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Annotated Checklist of the Flowering Plants of Nepal @ eFloras.org
author
K.K. Shrestha, J.R. Press and D.A. Sutton
project
eFloras.org
original
visit source
partner site
eFloras

Flower/Fruit

provided by eFloras
Fl. Per.: April-July.
license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of Pakistan Vol. 206: 109 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of Pakistan @ eFloras.org
editor
S. I. Ali & M. Qaiser
project
eFloras.org
original
visit source
partner site
eFloras

Habitat

provided by eFloras
Sandy river-sides, humid forests; irrigated fields.
license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of Pakistan Vol. 206: 109 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of Pakistan @ eFloras.org
editor
S. I. Ali & M. Qaiser
project
eFloras.org
original
visit source
partner site
eFloras

Synonym

provided by eFloras
C. aureus Tenore, Fl. napol. Prodr. "I.(1811) VIII." Holm & al., World's Worst Weeds: fig. 46. 1977. Haines & Lye, Sedges and Rushes E. Afr.: figs. 372 & 373. 1983.
license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of Pakistan Vol. 206: 109 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of Pakistan @ eFloras.org
editor
S. I. Ali & M. Qaiser
project
eFloras.org
original
visit source
partner site
eFloras

Morphology

provided by EOL authors
Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) is an erect, sweet-scented perennial herb with slender, scaly rhizomes ending with hard, grayish orange to dark brown tubers that are up to 3 cm long. Fibrous roots originate from the tubers, rhizomes, and basal bulbs. Stout, smooth stems (10 to 90 cm in height) are sharply triangular with somewhat concave sides. Single stems have a swelling at the base of the stem known as the basal bulb. Linear leaves, 5 to 85 cm long and 2.5 to 10 mm wide, arise from the base. Leaves can be longer than the stem. Inflorescences consist of yellowish brown irregular compound umbels, usually with one to several sessile spikes and 1 to 10 primary rays, that are smooth and often branched again at the top. There are three to eight spreading to ascending inflorescence bracts, which are often arched outward or downward. The broadly oblong-ovate or cylindrical spikes are 15 to 30 mm long and often appear somewhat flattened, with 8 to 50 spikelets. Spikelets are 5 to 30 mm long and linear to narrowly elliptic, with pointed tips and 8 to 35 florets. Spikelets are spread at right angles and are attached alternately along the axis. Spikelet scales are overlapping, oblong-elliptic to ovate, bluntly pointed at the tip, and yellow-brown in color with 7 to 10 reddish nerves. Flowers are perfect with three reddish brown stamens and a pale to reddish three-branched style. Fruits are small oblong-obovoid achenes, 1.3 to 2.0 mm long, that are triangular in cross section with two flat sides and one side somewhat concave. The achene surface is finely pebbled, shiny, and yellowish brown or tan to brown in color. (Defilice 2002 and references therein)
license
cc-by-3.0
copyright
Leo Shapiro
original
visit source
partner site
EOL authors

Brief Summary

provided by EOL authors
Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) is a perennial herbaceous sedge native to the eastern Mediterranean region. It was cultivated in ancient Egypt for its tasty and oil-rich tubers, but the wild form has spread as a weed around the world and adapted to climates from the tropics to the subarctic. It is now considered to be one of the world's most problematic weeds. Yellow Nutsedge reproduces and spreads mainly via tubers. The cultivated variety of Yellow Nutsedge, Cyperus esculentus var. sativus, has several common names, including Chufa, Tiger Nut, and Rush Nut. Chufa was domesticated in the White Nile region of present-day Sudan. Chufa dates back to at least the fifth millennium BC in the Neolithic age and is thought to be the third most ancient domesticated foodstuff of ancient Egypt after Emmer Wheat (Triticum dicoccon) and Barley (Hordeum vulgare). Remains of this plant dating back to 2400 to 2200 BC have been found in Egyptian tombs. Chufa was spread across North Africa and across southern Europe in the Middle Ages. It is now cultivated around the world on a small scale, including in China, North and South America, Spain, and Australia and is especially popular in West Africa, where it is still consumed as a sweetmeat and side dish, with the "nuts" being eaten raw or roasted. It is grown in the southeastern United States as hog pasture, livestock feed, and a winter food source for Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) and waterfowl. In many countries, Chufa is often used as an ingredient in the drink known as horchata. Horchata is a popular soft drink in Spain, made from the milky extract of Chufa tubers sweetened with sugar. Chufa production for this beverage in southeastern Spain was 6,650 metric tons in 1994. Yellow Nutsedge is now considered a serious weed across much of the world, especially tropical and subtropical Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. In recent decades, weedy Yellow Nutsedges have also become more widely established across northwestern Europe (Schippers et al. 1995 and references therein). Yellow Nutsedge has become a serious weed problem in the eastern and central United States in the last 50 years. It now infests millions of hectares of Corn and Soybean in the United States. It has been a weed pest for many years in the southern United States and is considered one of the 10 most common or troublesome (or both) weeds in Corn (Zea mays), Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), Grain Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), Peanut (Arachis hypogaea), Soybeans (Glycine max), and turfgrass in the southern states. Chufa tubers contain around 4% protein, 24% fat, 30% starch, and 16% sucrose (Vaughan and Geisler 1997). Pascual et al. (2000) reviewed the value and uses of Chufa and aspects of its cultivation. Negbi (1992) reviewed the domestication and evolution of weediness of both Yellow and Purple Nutsedge (C. rotundus). (Bendixen and Nandihalli 1987 and references therein; Schippers et al. 1995 and references therein; Vaughan and Geissler 1997; Defelice 2002 and references therein)
license
cc-by-3.0
copyright
Leo Shapiro
original
visit source
partner site
EOL authors

Comprehensive Description

provided by EOL authors
Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) is a perennial herbaceous sedge native to the eastern Mediterranean region. It was cultivated in ancient Egypt for its tasty and oil-rich tubers, but the wild form has spread as a weed around the world and adapted to climates from the tropics to the subarctic. It is now considered to be one of the world's most problematic weeds. Yellow Nutsedge reproduces and spreads mainly via tubers. The cultivated variety of Yellow Nutsedge, Cyperus esculentus var. sativus, has several common names, including Chufa, Tiger Nut, and Rush Nut. Chufa was domesticated in the White Nile region of present-day Sudan. Chufa dates back to at least the fifth millennium BC in the Neolithic age and is thought to be the third most ancient domesticated foodstuff of ancient Egypt after Emmer Wheat (Triticum dicoccon) and Barley (Hordeum vulgare). Remains of this plant dating back to 2400 to 2200 BC have been found in Egyptian tombs. Chufa was spread across North Africa and across southern Europe in the Middle Ages. It is now cultivated around the world on a small scale, including in China, North and South America, Spain, and Australia and is especially popular in West Africa, where it is still consumed as a sweetmeat and side dish, with the "nuts" being eaten raw or roasted. It is grown in the southeastern United States as hog pasture, livestock feed, and a winter food source for Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) and waterfowl. In many countries, Chufa is often used as an ingredient in the drink known as horchata. Horchata is a popular soft drink in Spain, made from the milky extract of Chufa tubers sweetened with sugar. Chufa production for this beverage in southeastern Spain was 6,650 metric tons in 1994. Although worldwide Yellow Nutsedge is not as aggressive and important a weed as Purple Nutsedge (C. rotundus, it is more tolerant of cold and drought than Purple Nutsedge and is therefore found over a wider geographic area. Yellow Nutsedge is now considered a serious weed in Angola, Canada, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Peru, South Africa, Tanzania, the United States, and Zimbabwe. It is a principle weed problem in Australia, India, Mexico, and Swaziland. It is a common weed in Argentina, Iran, and Portugal and is present as a weed in France and most countries of tropical and subtropical Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. In recent decades, weedy Yellow Nutsedges have also become more widely established across northwestern Europe (Schippers et al. 1995 and references therein). Yellow Nutsedge tubers contaminating gladiolus (Gladiolus spp.) bulbs imported from the North America in the late 1970s are believed to be the source of the weed in the Netherlands (De Vries 1991). Establishment of Yellow Nutsedge as a weed around the world is believed to have occurred through spread of the tubers in contaminated crop seed or rootstocks, ships ballast, and tillage or harvest equipment (Bendixen and Nandihalli 1987). Yellow Nutsedge is a serious weed in the cultivation of Maize (corn, Zea mays), Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum), and Potato (Solanum tuberosum), and a principal weed problem in Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and Soybean [Glycine max). It is also an important weed in the cultivation of Peanut (Arachis hypogaea), Sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris), many vegetable crops, and turfgrass. Yellow Nutsedge has become a serious weed problem in the eastern and central United States in the last 50 years. It now infests millions of hectares of Corn and Soybean in the United States. It has been a weed pest for many years in the southern United States and is considered one of the 10 most common or troublesome (or both) weeds in Corn, Cotton, Grain Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), Peanut, Soybeans, and turfgrass in the southern states. A single plant produces seven to nine tubers at the end of rhizomes. A single tuber has been observed to produce more than 1,900 plants and 6,900 tubers within a year. One Yellow Nutsedge-infested cornfield in Minnesota (United States) was found to have an average of 32 million plants per hectare. The flowers are self-incompatible (obligate out-crossers), but sexual reproduction is rare because the plants mostly reproduce vegetatively. Although their conclusions have not been universally accepted, Schippers et al. (1995) recognized four varieties of C. esculentus: (1) var. esculentus, the cultivated form (found in southern Europe; Asia; Africa; and locally in northern areas of North America) (2) var. macrostachyus (found in southern parts of the United States; in Central America; and in the Netherlands) (3) var. leptostachyus (found in North and South America and in Western Europe, where it was probably introduced around 1947) (4) var. heermann (found in southeastern parts of the United States; recently introduced into the Netherlands) The cultivated variety of Yellow Nutsedge differs from the wild types in several characteristics. The tubers are larger, have higher oil and sugar content, and have no frost tolerance. Tubers of the cultivated variety are distinctly grayish orange as compared with the grayish brown weedy types. The rhizomes are short and most tubers produced directly at the base of the shoots. Flowers are rare in the cultivated variety. The inflorescence is generally smaller, with smaller and fewer spikelets that lack the distinct reddish nerves of the weedy types (De Vries 1991). Chufa tubers contain around 4% protein, 24% fat, 30% starch, and 16% sucrose (Vaughan and Geisler 1997). Pascual et al. (2000) reviewed the value and uses of Chufa and aspects of its cultivation. Negbi (1992) reviewed the domestication and evolution of weediness of both Yellow and Purple Nutsedge. (Bendixen and Nandihalli 1987 and references therein; Schippers et al. 1995 and references therein; Vaughan and Geissler 1997; Defelice 2002 and references therein)
license
cc-by-3.0
copyright
Leo Shapiro
original
visit source
partner site
EOL authors

Derivation of specific name

provided by Flora of Zimbabwe
esculentus: edible
license
cc-by-nc
copyright
Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten and Petra Ballings
bibliographic citation
Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T. and Ballings, P. (2002-2014). Cyperus esculentus L. Flora of Zimbabwe website. Accessed 28 August 2014 at http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=109540
author
Mark Hyde
author
Bart Wursten
author
Petra Ballings
original
visit source
partner site
Flora of Zimbabwe

Description

provided by Flora of Zimbabwe
Stoloniferous perennial. Stolons to 15 cm, covered with scales and ending in a 3-8 mm tuber. Culms to 70 cm, triangular, glabrous. Inflorescence an anthela with 1 sessile and 3-10 stalked spikes. Spikelets 5-20 mm, brown. Glumes 2.2-2.6 mm, ovate-elliptic, reddish-brown. Style with 3 branches. Nutlet 1.3-1.5 mm, ellipsoid, triangular, grey, shiny.
license
cc-by-nc
copyright
Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten and Petra Ballings
bibliographic citation
Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T. and Ballings, P. (2002-2014). Cyperus esculentus L. Flora of Zimbabwe website. Accessed 28 August 2014 at http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=109540
author
Mark Hyde
author
Bart Wursten
author
Petra Ballings
original
visit source
partner site
Flora of Zimbabwe

Frequency

provided by Flora of Zimbabwe
Common
license
cc-by-nc
copyright
Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten and Petra Ballings
bibliographic citation
Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T. and Ballings, P. (2002-2014). Cyperus esculentus L. Flora of Zimbabwe website. Accessed 28 August 2014 at http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=109540
author
Mark Hyde
author
Bart Wursten
author
Petra Ballings
original
visit source
partner site
Flora of Zimbabwe

Cyperus esculentus

provided by wikipedia EN

Cyperus esculentus (also called chufa,[3] tiger nut,[4] atadwe,[5] yellow nutsedge,[6] earth almond, and in Chishona, pfende[7]) is a species of plant in the sedge family widespread across much of the world.[8] It is found in most of the Eastern Hemisphere, including Southern Europe, Africa and Madagascar, as well as the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent.[9][10][11] C. esculentus is cultivated for its edible tubers, called earth almonds or tiger nuts (due to the stripes on their tubers and their hard shell), as a snack food and for the preparation of horchata de chufa, a sweet, milk-like beverage.[12][13]

Cyperus esculentus can be found wild, as a weed, or as a crop. It is an invasive species outside its native range, and is readily transported accidentally to become invasive. In many countries, C. esculentus is considered a weed.[12][14] It is often found in wet soils such as rice paddies and peanut farms as well as well-irrigated lawns and golf courses during warm weather.

Description

Young plant with tuber

Cyperus esculentus is an annual or perennial plant, growing to 90 centimetres (3 feet) tall, with solitary stems growing from a tuber. The plant is reproduced by seeds, creeping rhizomes, and tubers.[15] Due to its clonal nature, C. esculentus can take advantage of soil disturbances caused by anthropogenic or natural forces.[16][17] The stems are triangular in section and bear slender leaves 3–10 millimetres (1838 inch) wide. The spikelets of the plant are distinctive, with a cluster of flat, oval seeds surrounded by four hanging, leaf-like bracts positioned 90 degrees from each other. They are 5 to 30 mm (14 to 1+18 in) long and linear to narrowly elliptic with pointed tips and 8 to 35 florets. The color varies from straw-colored to gold-brown. They can produce up to 2420 seeds per plant. The plant foliage is very tough and fibrous and is often mistaken for a grass. The roots are an extensive and complex system of fine, fibrous roots and scaly rhizomes with small, hard, spherical tubers and basal bulbs attached.

The tubers are 0.3–2.5 cm (18–1 in) in diameter and the colors vary between yellow, brown, and black.[18][19] One plant can produce several hundred to several thousand tubers during a single growing season. With cool temperatures, the foliage, roots, rhizomes, and basal bulbs die, but the tubers survive and resprout the following spring when soil temperatures remain above 6 °C (43 °F).[15] They can resprout up to several years later.[20] When the tubers germinate, many rhizomes are initiated and end in a basal bulb near the soil surface. These basal bulbs initiate the stems and leaves above ground, and fibrous roots underground. C. esculentus is wind pollinated and requires cross pollination as it is self–incompatible.

Similar species

  • Sedges (Cyperus) have grass-like leaves and resemble each other in the appearance. They can mainly be distinguished from grasses by their triangular stems.
  • Purple nutsedge (C. rotundus) is another weedy sedge that is similar to the yellow nutsedge (C. esculentus). These two sedges are difficult to distinguish from each other and can be found growing on the same site. Some differences are the purple spikelets and the tubers formed by C. rotundus are often multiple instead of just one at the tip. In addition the tubers have a bitter taste instead of the mild almond-like flavour of C. esculentus.[18]

Ecology

C. esculentus is a highly invasive species in Oceania, Mexico, some regions of the United States, and the Caribbean, mainly by seed dispersion.[12] It is readily transported internationally, and is adaptable to re-establish in varied climate and soil environments.[12] In Japan, it is an exotic clonal weed favorable to establish in wet habitats.[12]

Cultivation

C. esculentus is cultivated in Egypt, Spain, Nigeria, United States, Guatemala, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, India, Yemen, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Sudan, South Sudan, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Ghana, Niger, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, and Mali, where they are used primarily as animal feed or as a side dish, but in Hispanic countries they are used mainly to make horchata, a sweet, milk-like beverage.

Cultivation and growing of the xufa in the Valencian Community, file by Valencian Museum of Ethnology

Climate requirements

Cyperus esculentus cultivation requires a mild climate. Low temperature, shade, and light intensity can inhibit flowering.[18] Tuber initiation is inhibited by high levels of nitrogen, long photoperiods, and high levels of gibberellic acid. Flower initiation occurs under photoperiods of 12 to 14 hours per day.

Soil requirements

Tubers can develop in soil depths around 30 cm, but most occur in the top or upper part. They tolerate many adverse soil conditions including periods of drought and flooding and survive soil temperatures around −5 °C (23 °F). They grow best on sandy, moist soils at a pH between 5.0 – 7.5.[18] The densest populations of C. esculentus are often found in low-lying wetlands.[21] They do not tolerate salinity.[18]

Cultivation

C. esculentus is normally planted on previously tilled flat soils with ridges to facilitate irrigation. Seeds are planted manually on these ridges, which are approximately 60 cm (2 ft) apart. Distances between seeds may vary from 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in) and seeding depth is around 8 cm (3 in). A typical seeding rate for chufa is about 120 kg of tubers/ha (107 lbs/acre).[22]

They are planted between April and May and must be irrigated every week until they are harvested in November and December. Tubers develop about 6–8 weeks after seedling emergence and grow quickly during July and August. The maturing is around 90–110 days. The average yield can approach between 10 and 19 t/ha.[23][24]

Compatibility with other crops

The seed head of a Cyperus esculentus plant

C. esculentus is extremely difficult to remove completely once established. This is due to the plant having a stratified and layered root system, with tubers and roots being interconnected to a depth of 36 cm or more.[18] The tubers are connected by fragile roots that are prone to snapping when pulled, making the root system difficult to remove intact. Intermediate rhizomes can potentially reach a length of 60 cm. The plant can quickly regenerate if a single tuber is left in place. By competing for light, water and nutrients it can reduce the vigour of neighbouring plants. It can develop into a dense colony. Patch boundaries can increase by more than one meter per year. Tubers and seed disperse with agricultural activities, soil movement or by water and wind. They are often known as a contaminant in crop seeds. When plants are small they are hard to distinguish from other weeds such as Dactylis glomerata and Elytrigia repens. Thus it is hard to discover in an early stage and therefore hard to counteract. Once it is detected, mechanical removal, hand removal, grazing, damping, and herbicides can be used to inhibit C. esculentus.

Harvest and drying process

Harvest usually occurs in November or December and the leaves are scorched during the harvest. With a combine harvester, the tiger nut is pulled out of the ground. Immediately after harvesting, the tiger nuts are washed with water in order to remove sand and small stones. The drying occurs usually in the sun and can take up to three months.[25] The temperatures and humidity levels have to be monitored very carefully during this period. The tiger nuts have to be turned every day to ensure uniform drying. The drying process ensures a longer shelf life. This prevents rot or other bacterial infections, securing quality and high nutrition levels. Disadvantages in the drying process are shrinkage, skin wrinkles and hard nut texture.

Storage

Tiger nut loses a considerable amount of water during drying and storage. The starch content of the tiger nut tubers decreases and the reducing sugar (invert sugar) content increases during storage.[26] Tiger nut can be stored dry and rehydrated by soaking without losing the crisp texture. Soaking is often done overnight. Dried tiger nuts have a hard texture and soaking is required to render them more easily edible and to ensure acceptable sensory quality.[18]

According to the Consejo Regulador de Chufa de Valencia (Regulating Council for Valencia's Tiger Nuts),[27] the nutritional composition/100 ml of the Spanish beverage horchata de chufas is as follows: energy content around 66 kcal, proteins around 0.5 g, carbohydrates over 10 g with starch at least 1.9 g, fats at least 2 g.

Uses

Dried tiger nut has a smooth, tender, sweet, and nutty taste. It can be consumed raw, roasted, dried, baked or as tiger nut milk, tiger nut drink or oil.

Drink

In Spain, the drink now known as horchata de chufa (also sometimes called horchata de chufas or, in West African countries such as Nigeria and Mali, kunun aya) is the original form of horchata. It is made from soaked, ground and sweetened tiger nuts mixed with sugar and water.[28] According to researchers at the University of Ilorin, kunu made from tiger nuts is an inexpensive source of protein. It remains popular in Spain, where a regulating council exists to ensure the quality and traceability of the product in relation to the designation of origin. There it is served ice-cold as a natural refreshment in the summer, often served with fartons. Horchata de chufa is also used instead of dairy milk by the lactose-intolerant. The majority of the Spanish tiger nut crop is utilised in the production of horchata de chufa. Alboraya is the most important production centre.

The tubers can be roasted and ground into a coffee substitute.[29]

Food

Dried tubers sold at the market of Banfora, Burkina Faso.

The tubers are edible raw or cooked.[30] They have a slightly sweet, nutty flavour, compared to the more bitter-tasting tuber of the related Cyperus rotundus (purple nutsedge). They are quite hard and are generally soaked in water before they can be eaten, making them much softer and giving them a better texture. They are a popular snack in West Africa. The tubers can also be dried and ground into flour.[30]

In Northern Nigeria, it is called aya and it is usually eaten fresh. It is sometimes dried and later rehydrated and eaten. A snack made by toasting the nuts and sugar coating it is popular among the Hausa children of Northern Nigeria. Also, a drink known as kunun aya is made by processing the nuts with dates and later sieved and served chilled.

In Egypt, tiger nuts are known by the name Hab el-Aziz and after softening it by soaking in water, it is sold on hand carts as a street food.[31] Its popularity was depicted in movies, such as the song named after it, "Hab el Aziz".

Flour of roasted tiger nut is sometimes added to biscuits and other bakery products as well as in making oil, soap, and starch extracts. It is also used for the production of nougat, jam, beer, and as a flavoring agent in ice cream and in the preparation of kunu (a local beverage in Nigeria). Kunu is a nonalcoholic beverage prepared mainly from cereals (such as millet or sorghum) by heating and mixing with spices (dandelion, alligator pepper, ginger, licorice) and sugar. To make up for the poor nutritional value of kunu prepared from cereals, tiger nut was found to be a good substitute for cereal grains. Tiger nut oil can be used naturally with salads or for deep frying. It is considered to be a high-quality oil. Tiger nut “milk” has been tried as an alternative source of milk in fermented products, such as yogurt production, and other fermented products common in some African countries and can thus be useful replacing milk in the diet of people intolerant to lactose to a certain extent.[14]

Oil

Since the tubers of C. esculentus contain 20-36% oil, it has been suggested as potential oil crop for the production of biodiesel.[32] One study found that chufa produced 1.5 metric tonnes of oil per hectare (174 gallons/acre) based on a tuber yield of 5.67 t/ha and an oil content of 26.4%.[33] A similar 6-year study found tuber yields ranging from 4.02 to 6.75 t/ha, with an average oil content of 26.5% and an average oil yield of 1.47 t/ha.[34] The oil of the tuber was found to contain 18% saturated (palmitic acid and stearic acid) and 82% unsaturated (oleic acid and linoleic acid) fatty acids.[32]

Fishing bait

The boiled nuts are used in the UK as a bait for carp. The nuts have to be prepared in a prescribed manner to prevent harm to the fish. The nuts are soaked in water for 24 hours, and then boiled for 20 minutes or longer until fully expanded. Some anglers then leave the boiled nuts to ferment for 24–48 hours, which can enhance their effectiveness. If the nuts are not properly prepared, they can be toxic to carp. This was originally thought to have been the cause of death of Benson, a large, well-known female carp weighing 54 lb (24 kg) found floating dead in a fishing lake, with a bag of unprepared tiger nuts lying nearby, empty, on the bank. An examination of the fish by a taxidermist concluded tiger nut poisoning was not the cause of death, but rather the fish had died naturally.[35]

History

It has been suggested that the extinct hominin Paranthropus boisei (the "Nutcracker Man") subsisted on tiger nuts.[36]

C. esculentus was one of the oldest cultivated plants in prehistoric and Ancient Egypt, where it was an important food. Roots of wild chufa have been found at Wadi Kubbaniya, north of Aswan, dating to around 16,000 BC.[37] Dry tubers also appear later in tombs of the Predynastic period, around 3000 BC. During that time, C. esculentus tubers were consumed either boiled in beer, roasted, or as sweets made of ground tubers with honey.[38] The tubers were also used medicinally, taken orally, as an ointment, or as an enema, and used in fumigants to sweeten the smell of homes or clothing.[39] Chufa continued to be an important source of food in the Dynastic period, and cultivation of the plant remained exclusively in Egypt.[40] The tomb of the vizier Rekhmire from the 15th century BCE, shows peasants preparing and measuring tiger nuts to make votive cakes as offerings to the god Amun.[41][42] The modern name for tiger nuts in Egypt is حب العزيز (Hab el Aziz = grains of Al-Aziz) named after the Fatimid ruler who was reputedly fond of it.[31]

References

  1. ^ Kumar, B. (2013). "Cyperus esculentus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T164083A17636573. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T164083A17636573.en. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  2. ^ "Cyperus esculentus L. — The Plant List". www.theplantlist.org.
  3. ^ "Chufa Information". Seed World. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  4. ^ Chen, Angus (April 27, 2016). "Loathed By Farmers, Loved By Ancients: The Strange History of Tiger Nuts". NPR. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  5. ^ "Is Atadwe (Tiger Nuts) Good for You? Health Benefits of Tiger Nuts". GhanaStar. 2015-11-15. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  6. ^ "Yellow nutsedge". University of Maryland Extension. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  7. ^ "Chufa (Earth Almond)". Chest of Books. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  8. ^ Sánchez‐Zapata, Elena; Fernández‐López, Juana; Pérez‐Alvarez, José Angel (2012-07-01). "Tiger Nut (Cyperus esculentus) Commercialization: Health Aspects, Composition, Properties, and Food Applications". Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 11 (4): 366–377. doi:10.1111/j.1541-4337.2012.00190.x. ISSN 1541-4337.
  9. ^ "World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew". Kew Science. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  10. ^ "Biota of North America Program, 2013 county distribution map".
  11. ^ Altervista Flora Italiana, Zigolo dolce, Yellow Nutsedge, Cyperus esculentus L. includes photographs plus distribution maps for Europe and North America
  12. ^ a b c d e "Cyperus esculentus (yellow nutsedge)". CABI. 19 November 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  13. ^ Nazish, Noma. "What Are Tiger Nuts And Why Should You Eat Them?". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
  14. ^ a b Sánchez-Zapata, E; Fernández-López, J; Angel Pérez-Alvarez, J (2012). "Tiger Nut (Cyperus esculentus) Commercialization: Health Aspects, Composition, Properties, and Food Applications". Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 11 (4): 366–77. doi:10.1111/j.1541-4337.2012.00190.x.
  15. ^ a b Stoller, E.W. (1981). Yellow Nut Sedge: A Menace in the Corn Belt (No. 1642). US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.
  16. ^ Renne, Ian J.; Tracy, Benjamin F. (2006-08-30). "Disturbance persistence in managed grasslands: shifts in aboveground community structure and the weed seed bank". Plant Ecology. 190 (1): 71–80. doi:10.1007/s11258-006-9191-7. ISSN 1385-0237. S2CID 45148808.
  17. ^ Oldfield, Callie A.; Evans, Jonathan P. (2016-03-01). "Twelve years of repeated wild hog activity promotes population maintenance of an invasive clonal plant in a coastal dune ecosystem". Ecology and Evolution. 6 (8): 2569–2578. doi:10.1002/ece3.2045. ISSN 2045-7758. PMC 4834338. PMID 27110354.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g ^ USGS Weeds in the West project: Status of introduced Plants in Southern Arizona Parks, Factsheets for Cyperus esculentus L., 2003, Tucson, Arizona
  19. ^ The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants. United States Department of the Army. New York: Skyhorse Publishing. 2009. p. 43. ISBN 978-1-60239-692-0. OCLC 277203364.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  20. ^ Stoller, E. W.; Wax, L. M. (1973-01-01). "Yellow Nutsedge Shoot Emergence and Tuber Longevity". Weed Science. 21 (1): 76–81. doi:10.1017/S004317450003174X. JSTOR 4042258. S2CID 83193492.
  21. ^ Ross, Merrill A.; Lembi, Carole A. (2008). Applied Weed Science (3 ed.). Prentice Hall. p. 322. ISBN 978-0135028148.
  22. ^ N. Pascual-Seva, et al., Furrow-irrigated chufa crops in Valencia (Spain) Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research 2013 11(1), 258-267. http://revistas.inia.es/index.php/sjar/article/view/3385/1803
  23. ^ Pascual-Seva, N., San Bautista, A., López Galarza, S., Maroto, J.V. and Pascual, B. 2012. Yield and Irrigation Water Use Efficiency for Ridge - and Bed - cultivated Chufa (Cyperus Esculentus L. var. Sativus Boeck). Acta Hort. (ISHS) 936:125-132
  24. ^ Reid WS, Hergert GB, Fagan WE, 1972. Development of a Prototype mechanical Harvester for Chufa (Cyperus esculentus L. var sativus Boek). Canadian Agricultural Engineering 14.
  25. ^ Tigernuts Traders, S.L., Tigernuts Oil, 2012, http://www.tigernut.com
  26. ^ Coşkuner, Yalçın; Ercan, Recai; Karababa, Erşan; Nazlıcan, Ahmet Nedim (2002). "Physical and chemical properties of chufa (Cyperus esculentus L) tubers grown in the Çukurova region of Turkey". Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 82 (6): 625–631. doi:10.1002/jsfa.1091.
  27. ^ "Consejo Regulador de Chufa de Valencia". Chufadevalencia.org. 2002-12-31. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
  28. ^ Roselló-Soto, Elena; Poojary, Mahesha M.; Barba, Francisco J.; Koubaa, Mohamed; Lorenzo, Jose M.; Mañes, Jordi; Moltó, Juan Carlos (2018). "Thermal and non-thermal preservation techniques of tiger nuts' beverage "horchata de chufa". Implications for food safety, nutritional and quality properties". Food Research International. 105: 945–951. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2017.12.014. ISSN 0963-9969. PMID 29433293.
  29. ^ Angier, Bradford (1974). Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books. p. 58. ISBN 0-8117-0616-8. OCLC 799792.
  30. ^ a b Elias, Thomas S.; Dykeman, Peter A. (2009) [1982]. Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods. New York: Sterling. p. 130. ISBN 978-1-4027-6715-9. OCLC 244766414.
  31. ^ a b "Hab' el Aziz".
  32. ^ a b Zhang, He Yuan; Hanna, Milford A; Ali, Yusuf; Nan, Lu (1996). "Yellow nut-sedge tuber oil as a fuel". Industrial Crops and Products. 5 (3): 177–181. doi:10.1016/0926-6690(96)89446-5.
  33. ^ Makareviciene, Violeta; Gumbyte, Milda; Yunik, Anatolii; Kalenska, Svitlana; Kalenskii, Viktor; Rachmetov, Dzhamal; Sendzikiene, Egle (2013). "Opportunities for the use of chufa sedge in biodiesel production". Industrial Crops and Products. 50: 633–637. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2013.08.036. ISSN 0926-6690.
  34. ^ Bilali et al., "Exploring Serbian consumers’ attitude toward ethical values of organic, fair-trade and typical/traditional products" The Fifth International Scientific Conference, Rural Development 2011, Proceedings, Volume 5, Book 1, p. 337.
  35. ^ Bailey, John (5 August 2009). "The extraordinary life and suspicious death of Benson the giant carp". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  36. ^ Macho, Gabriele A. (2014-01-08). "Baboon Feeding Ecology Informs the Dietary Niche of Paranthropus boisei". PLOS ONE. 9 (1): e84942. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...984942M. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0084942. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3885648. PMID 24416315.
  37. ^ Sanderson, Helen (2005). Prance, Ghillean; Nesbitt, Mark (eds.). The Cultural History of Plants. Routledge. p. 74. ISBN 0415927463.
  38. ^ Moshe, N (1992). "A Sweetmeat Plant, a Perfume Plant and their Weedy Relatives: A Chapter in the History of C. Esculentus L. and C. Rotundus L.". Economic Botany. 46: 64–71. doi:10.1007/bf02985255. S2CID 37815353.
  39. ^ Defelice, MS (2002). "Yellow Nutsedge: Cyperus esculentus L. — Snack Food of the Gods1". Weed Technology. 16 (4): 901–7. doi:10.1614/0890-037x(2002)016[0901:yncels]2.0.co;2. S2CID 85720525.
  40. ^ Daniel Zohary and Maria Hopf, Domestication of plants in the Old World, third edition (Oxford: University Press, 2000), p. 198
  41. ^ "Loathed By Farmers, Loved By Ancients: The Strange History Of Tiger Nuts". NPR.
  42. ^ Miller, Max (31 August 2021). "Ancient Egyptian Tiger Nut Cake". Tasting History with Max Miller. YouTube. Retrieved 25 January 2022.

license
cc-by-sa-3.0
copyright
Wikipedia authors and editors
original
visit source
partner site
wikipedia EN

Cyperus esculentus: Brief Summary

provided by wikipedia EN

Cyperus esculentus (also called chufa, tiger nut, atadwe, yellow nutsedge, earth almond, and in Chishona, pfende) is a species of plant in the sedge family widespread across much of the world. It is found in most of the Eastern Hemisphere, including Southern Europe, Africa and Madagascar, as well as the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. C. esculentus is cultivated for its edible tubers, called earth almonds or tiger nuts (due to the stripes on their tubers and their hard shell), as a snack food and for the preparation of horchata de chufa, a sweet, milk-like beverage.

Cyperus esculentus can be found wild, as a weed, or as a crop. It is an invasive species outside its native range, and is readily transported accidentally to become invasive. In many countries, C. esculentus is considered a weed. It is often found in wet soils such as rice paddies and peanut farms as well as well-irrigated lawns and golf courses during warm weather.

license
cc-by-sa-3.0
copyright
Wikipedia authors and editors
original
visit source
partner site
wikipedia EN