''Actinoscirpus'' is a

monospecific In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

genus in the family

Cyperaceae The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus ''Carex'' w ...

which contains only the species ''Actinoscirpus grossus'', the greater club rush. It is found across East and South Asia and is known in China as 大藨草 (da biao cao), ''rumput menderong'' in

Malaysian Malaysian may refer to: * Something from or related to Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia * Malaysian Malay, a dialect of Malay language spoken mainly in Malaysia * Malaysian people, people who are identified with the country of Malaysia regard ...

, and ''kasheruka'' within

Ayurvedic medicine Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population repor ...

, which uses the tubers as an

antiemetic An antiemetic is a drug that is effective against vomiting and nausea. Antiemetics are typically used to treat motion sickness and the side effects of opioid analgesics, general anaesthetics, and chemotherapy directed against cancer. They may ...

and treatment for liver and digestive diseases. It is a

perennial plant A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

that grows rapidly with long

rhizomes In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

that end in small

tubers Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing s ...

. ''A. grossus'' is considered a "principal" weed of rice in some Southeast Asian countries. It is abundant in swampy or inundated areas, such as marshes and ditches, and is capable of dominating wetlands and rice patties. It is also a host of ''Chilo polychrysus'', the dark-headed rice borer.

Description

Stands of greater club rush grow to lengths of 1.5 to 2 meters. It grows well in both inundated lands and areas with flooding. Individuals grow in colonies with 10 to 15 centimeters between stems. The tight spacing of stems reduces the speed of flooding and helps filter trash or debris floating in waterways.

Uses

The tubers of ''A. grossus'' are used in

folk medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

as a treatment for liver disease, although experimental evidence to support this is limited. Ganapathi et al. (2018) showed a protective effect of ethanolic extract of the ''A. grossus tubers'' when treating ethanol-induced

hepatotoxicity Hepatotoxicity (from ''hepatic toxicity'') implies chemical-driven liver damage. Drug-induced liver injury is a cause of acute and chronic liver disease caused specifically by medications and the most common reason for a drug to be withdrawn fro ...

in rats; treatment of the extract significantly restored the

liver enzymes Liver function tests (LFTs or LFs), also referred to as a hepatic panel, are groups of blood tests that provide information about the state of a patient's liver. These tests include prothrombin time (PT/INR), activated partial thromboplastin ti ...

, reduced lipid peroxidation, and restored altered catalase and glutathione peroxidase activity.

Phytoremediation

Studies have shown success using ''A. grossus'' and its associated

rhizobacteria Rhizobacteria are root-associated bacteria that can have a detrimental (parasitic varieties), neutral or beneficial effect on plant growth. The name comes from the Greek ''rhiza'', meaning root. The term usually refers to bacteria that form symbio ...

in improving water quality and removing contaminants through

phytoremediation Phytoremediation technologies use living plants to clean up soil, air and water contaminated with hazardous contaminants. It is defined as "the use of green plants and the associated microorganisms, along with proper soil amendments and agronomi ...

. Syafrizal et al. (2020) has shown success in reducing concentrations of ammonium, phosphate, BOD,

COD Cod is the common name for the demersal fish genus '' Gadus'', belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gadus'' is commonly not call ...

, and other measures of water quality. Additional studies have also shown success in reducing other contaminants, such as

total suspended solids Total suspended solids (TSS) is the dry-weight of suspended particles, that are not dissolved, in a sample of water that can be trapped by a filter that is analyzed using a filtration apparatus known as sintered glass crucible. TSS is a water qua ...

, diesel, and lead, as well as remediating various forms of

effluent Effluent is wastewater from sewers or industrial outfalls that flows directly into surface waters either untreated or after being treated at a facility. The term has slightly different meanings in certain contexts, and may contain various pollut ...

References

Cyperaceae Flora of China Monotypic Cyperaceae genera {{cyperaceae-stub

Description

Uses

Phytoremediation

See also

References