Description
Cyperus SYE-purr-us
Cyperus (Cyperus alternifolius) is the plant to grow if you never quite get it right when you water your plants, as it requires a constant moisture at the roots and cannot be overwatered. The tall stems have umbrellas of radiating bracts that look like leaves (the true leaves clasp the stem so closely you can hardly see them), giving the plant an oriental appearance. The riparian plants thrive in boggy conditions or even with roots fully submerged in water. The name for this plant comes from the arrangement of the leaves at the ends of the stems. The slender, rigid, serrated leaves are arranged in a ray around a central core, much like the spikes of an umbrella.
