Keep soil wet: Bog or aquatic plant - Plant Encyclopedia Results (Page 4)

Cyperus papyrus forms a grass-like clump of triangular green stems that rise up from thick, woody rhizomes. Each stem is topped by a dense cluster of thin, bright green, thread-like rays around 10 to 30 cm (4 to 10 in).

Papyrus sedge forms vast stands in swamps, shallow lakes, and along stream banks.

In Ancient Egypt, papyrus was used for various of purposes such as baskets, sandals, blankets, medicine, incense, and boats including for making papyrus.

All parts of the Sedge, apart from the roots, are annual, and die every winter. New ones grow in the spring. The dead parts remain in the water and do not rot, so that large quantities of organic matter accumulates. The organic matter is compressed and turns into peat.

Long on beauty and history, papyrus has been known and used by Man for millennia. Soft green clouds of papyrus lined the Nile River during the time of the pharaohs. In the Bible the infant Moses was found among the bulrushes, as Cyperus papyrus is also called. Ancient Egyptians kept records of their pyramid building activities on papyrus sheets, from which we get the word "paper." Today papyrus is appreciated for its beauty and is often used in ornamental landscapes especially in pools, ponds and containers. Umbrella sedges inxabit damp ground and swamps, and as house-plants, too, they like to have wet feet. The characteristic mark of most of the Cyperus species is an umbrellalike head of leaves. The insignificant little umbellate flowers appear in almost all year long. There are some 600 species, of which Cyperus alternifulius, the subspecies ssp. flabelliformis, Cyperus gracilis, and Cyperius haspan are important as house plants. Now and then it is sold as a fully grown plant, but you can also grow it from seed.

Use this plant along the shores of lakes, ponds, and slow moving streams to create masses of hazy light green foliage. A single clump can serve as a focal point, or use in pairs to frame a scene. When used in smaller pools and fishponds, grow papyrus in containers placed underwater.

A bizarre looking plant, Cyrtosperma johnstonii is a semiaquatic aroid. The stalks have spiny, and the large lobed leaves are green with blood red veining. Perfect for greenhouse culture. Suitable for bogs and water gardens.

Originated from Southeast Asia and some Pacific Islands. It has large arrow shaped leaves, points up, and odd dark scaly pinkish stems. Can grow to 5' or even bigger in a greenhouse environment. Likes warm humid condition. Upright flowers, typical spath type cream inside with a pink spadix and a black hood. Leaves can get 2'-4' long and bigger. Can be grown as a water plant growing in a bog situation.

Robust to gigantic herb, up to 4 m tall, growing solitarily or in clumps. Rhizome short and slender to tuberous and very large, cylindrical, up to 2 m long and 0.6 m in diameter, sometimes globose, weighing up to 70 kg or even more, producing few to many suckers. Cyrtosperma merkusii used to be cultivated as a food crop in a manner similar to Taro (Colocasia). Since the unprocessed corms are toxic, they must always be cooked, usually in an earth oven.

In addition to the use of lubricating secretions and downward-pointing hairs common to all North American pitcher plants to force their prey into the trap, this species carefully hides the tiny exit hole from trapped insects by curling it underneath and offering multiple translucent false exits. Upon trying many times to leave via the false exits, the insect will tire and fall down into the trap. The slippery walls and hairs prevent the trapped prey from escaping. The only other species that utilizes this technique is the Parrot Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia psittacina.

The "leaves" are actually large bracts that surround the less-conspicuous inflorescence. The bracts are white at the base, becoming green at the tips.

Dodecatheon are summer-dormant herbaceous perennials with basal rosettes of simple leaves and erect or arching stems bearing umbels of cyclamen-like flowers with strongly reflexed petals. The flowers can range from purplish, through pinks to white with cone-shaped, purple stamens and pistils.

Native habitat: Open woods and glades, rocky wooded slopes, dry to wet meadows and prairies. Prefers a moist to wet site.

Excellent for a waterside planting, but adaptable to rich border conditions or the woodland garden. They are also good for alpine houses.

Echinodorus palaefolius has round leaves with a horizontal leaf base. Under water the leaves are narrower and longer. The next leaves will then become shorter and the plant will remain under water. Common as aquarium plants, they grow even larger as emersed pond plants.