Particulars

Arboretum name: Seriko: Galingale
Japanese name: Shichitoui
Species / Family: Cyperus malaccensis Lam. ssp. monophyllus (Vahl.) T. Koyama/Cyperaceae
Okinawan name: Ī, Sachī, Sāra

Plant Characteristics

Shichitoui, or Cyperus monophyllus Vahl is a perennial grass growing on wetlands near water. The stems grow 1–2 meters tall from its roots. With stems that are triangular in cross section, the plant is also known as Sankakui-i (triangle). The name Shichitoui originates in the fact that the plant is cultivated in a region called Satsunan-Shichito. Native to southern East Asia, it grows naturally in southern China, the Philippines, and Indonesia. In Japan, it has been cultivated or domesticated in areas ranging from the Kansai region of Japan to the Ryukyu Islands. The Shichutoui was originally cultivated in the Ryukyu Kingdom, before being introduced to Oita Prefecture through the Satsunan region during the Edo period. The tatami-surface made from the Shichitoui is still known as "Ryukyu matting." Until about 1965, this plant had been cultivated in wet paddies near the sea in areas like Kanagusuku of Itoman-city and Teruma of Yonashiro-cho, Okinawa.

Uses

Culm: Tatami-facing, Straw Mats, Patterned Rush Mats

Calendar of best viewing periods

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