紙莎草[註 1](学名:Cyperus papyrus,英文名:papyrus, papyrus sedge),又稱紙草(英語:Paper reed)、埃及莎草、埃及紙草、蒲草(Bulrush)、埃及蒲草、印度叢草(Indian matting plant)。屬於莎草科莎草屬。是北非洲原產的一種多年生草本植物。
生長型態
紙莎草是一種高而堅韌的挺水植物,約可長到4至5公尺高。它綠色、長稈狀的莖橫切面為三角形,從粗厚的地下莖中長出。每一條莖的頂端都會長出一簇濃密的、放射狀(像煙火一般)的葉。葉子細長、通常呈亮綠色,長度約10至30公分。當植物還年幼的時候,這簇葉子的生長型態就像雞毛撢一樣。花是綠褐色,生長在葉簇的末端。果實呈褐色。地下莖在剛長出時會被一層紅褐色的紙質層覆蓋,這層三角形的鱗狀層也覆蓋了莖的基部。
紙莎草生長在熱帶至亞熱帶的環境中,不論是潮濕的森林或乾燥的沙漠,只要全年均溫在20到30℃且土壤pH值在6.0-8.5就可以生長。紙莎草的花在暮夏盛開,並且傾向於在全日照到半陰涼的環境開花。像許多典型的熱帶植物一樣,紙莎草對霜很敏感。
紙莎草的分布遍及在沼澤、淺水湖和溪畔等非洲的潮濕部分,但在尼羅河三角洲已逐漸變得稀少。在較深的水中,紙莎草是構成植被的主要植物(被稱為sudd)。現今它的野生分布存在於剛果、馬達加斯加島、烏干達、衣索匹亞和西西里島。
紙莎草羽毛狀的花是許多社會性鳥類築巢的地點。像許多莎草科植物一樣,它是風媒花,且果實由流水帶走。
今天,紙莎草被培育、改良為裝飾性的植物。其中C. nanus(矮紙莎草)、C. profiler兩個品種只會長到約1公尺高。
用途
古埃及人使用紙莎草的用途有很多。其中,最有名的應該是莎草纸的製作。在希臘文和英文中,「莎草紙」這個字的語源被許多人認為是來自於古埃及语,但這是谬传。紙莎草現在被廣泛的運用於製作裝飾品,例如莎草紙畫。在古代,紙莎草在尼羅河三角洲有著相當廣泛的分布,然而现在它在尼羅河三角洲的原生種群却瀕臨絕滅。在泰奧弗拉斯托斯的《植物史》(Historia Plantarum,卷十)一書中寫到紙莎草在敘利亞也有分布。而根據老普林尼的《博物志》一書,紙莎草是尼羅河及幼發拉底河流域的原生植物。
此外,古埃及人利用多種莎草科的植物的花來製作敬神的花圈。而嫩枝則被當作食物。它多纖維的地下莖則用來製作碗等多種器具,有時也當作燃料。而莖則用來編製葦舟(在埃及第四王朝的浮雕中,描繪了壯年男子採集莎草製作葦舟的情形),類似的船在蘇丹也能發現。
註釋
延伸閲讀
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參見
外部連結
- Purdue University: Cyperus papyrus factsheet (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆)
- Floridata (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆)
- University of Connecticut Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Conservatory
- Dressler, S.; Schmidt, M. & Zizka, G. Cyperus papyrus . African plants – a Photo Guide. Frankfurt/Main: Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg. 2014.