紙莎草
莎草科莎草属植物
紙莎草[註 1]（學名：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。
紙莎草
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| 紙莎草 | |
科學分類 
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| 界： | 植物界 Plantae |
| 演化支： | 維管束植物 Tracheophyta |
| 演化支： | 被子植物 Angiosperms |
| 演化支： | 單子葉植物 Monocots |
| 演化支： | 鴨跖草類植物 Commelinids |
| 目： | 禾本目 Poales |
| 科： | 莎草科 Cyperaceae |
| 屬： | 莎草屬 Cyperus |
| 種： | 紙莎草 C. papyrus
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| 二名法 | |
| Cyperus papyrus | |
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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。
紙莎草的分佈遍及在沼澤、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）。現今它的野生分佈存在於剛果、馬達加斯加島、烏干達、埃塞俄比亞和西西里島。
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紙的製作。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語，但這是謬傳。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着相當廣泛的分佈，然而現在它在尼羅河三角洲的原生種群卻瀕臨絕滅。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佈。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
- Boar, R. R., D. M. Harper and C. S. Adams. 1999. Biomass Allocation in Cyperus papyrus in a Tropical Wetland, Lake Naivasha, Kenya. 1999. Biotropica 3: 411.
- Chapman, L.J., C.A. Chapman, R. Ogutu-Ohwayo, M. Chandler, L. Kaufman and A.E. Keiter. 1996. Refugia for endangered fishes from an introduced predator in Lake Nabugabo, Uganda. Conservation Biology 10: 554-561.
- Chapman, L.J., C.A. Chapman, P.J. Schofield, J.P. Olowo, L. Kaufman, O. Seehausen and R. Ogutu-Ohwayo. 2003. Fish faunal resurgence in Lake Nabugabo, East Africa. Conservation Biology 17: 500-511.
- Gaudet, John. 1975. Mineral concentrations in papyrus in various African swamps. Journal of Ecology 63: 483-491.
- Gaudet, John. 1976. Nutrient relationships in the detritus of a tropical swamp.Archiv für Hydrobiologie 78: 213-239.
- Gaudet, John. 1977. Natural drawdown on Lake Naivasha, Kenya and the formation of papyrus swamps. Aquatic Botany 3: 1-47.
- Gaudet, John. 1977. Uptake and loss of mineral nutrients by papyrus in tropical swamps. Ecology 58: 415-422.
- Gaudet, John. 1978. Effect of a tropical swamp on water quality. Verh. Internat. Ver. Limnol. 20: 2202-2206.
- Gaudet, John. 1978. Seasonal changes in nutrients in a tropical swamp. Journal of Ecology 67: 953-981.
- Gaudet, John. 1980. Papyrus and the ecology of Lake Naivasha. National Geographic Society Research Reports. 12: 267-272.
- Gaudet, J. and J. Melack. 1981. Major ion chemistry in a tropical African lake basin. Freshwater Biology 11: 309-333.
- Gaudet, J. and C. Howard-Williams. 1985. 「The structure and functioning of African swamps.」 In (ed. Denny) The Ecology and Management of African Wetland Vegetation. Dr.w.Junk, Pub., Dordrecht (pp. 154–175).
- Gaudet, John. 1991. Structure and function of African floodplains. Journal of the East African Natural Historical Society. 82(199): 1-32.
- Harper, D.M., K.M. Mavuti and S. M. Muchiri. 1990: Ecology and management of Lake Naivasha, Kenya, in relation to climatic change, alien species introductions and agricultural development. Environmental Conservation 17: 328–336.
- Harper, D. 1992. The ecological relationships of aquatic plants at Lake Naivasha, Kenya. Hydrobiologia. 232: 65-71.
- Howard-Williams, C. and K. Thompson. 1985. The conservation and management of African wetlands. In (ed. Denny) The Ecology and Management of African Wetland Vegetation. Dr.w.Junk, Pub., Dordrecht (pp. 203–230).
- Jones, M.B. and T. R. Milburn. 1978. Photosynthesis in Papyrus (Cyperus papyrus L.), Photosynthetica. 12: 197 - 199.
- Jones, M. B. and F. M. Muthuri. 1997. Standing biomass and carbon distribution in a papyrus (Cyperus Papyrus L) swamp on Lake Naivasha, Kenya. Journal of Tropical Ecology. 13: 347–356.
- Jones M.B. and S. W. Humphries. 2002. Impacts of the C4 sedge Cyperus papyrus L. on carbon and water fluxes in an African wetland. Hydrobiologia, Volume 488, pp. 107–113.
- Maclean, I.M.D. 2004. An ecological and socio-economic analysis of biodiversity conservation in East African wetlands. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of East Anglia, Norwich.
- Maclean, I.M.D., M. Hassall, M. R. Boar and I. Lake. 2006. Effects of disturbance and habitat loss on papyrus-dwelling passerines. Biological Conservation., 131: 349-358.
- Maclean, I.M.D., M. Hassall, R. Boar, R. and O. Nasirwa. 2003a. Effects of habitat degradation on avian guilds in East African papyrus Cyperus papyrus L. swamps. Bird Conservation International, 13: 283-297.
- Maclean, I.M.D., R. Tinch, M. Hassall and R.R. Boar, R.R. 2003b. Social and economic use of wetland resources: a case study from Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda. Environmental Change and Management Working Paper No. 2003-09, Centre for Social and Economic Research into the Global Environment, University of East Anglia, Norwich.
- Maclean, I.M.D., R. Tinch, M. Hassall and R.R. Boar. 2003c. Towards optimal use of tropical wetlands: an economic evaluation of goods derived from papyrus swamps in southwest Uganda. Environmental Change and Management Working Paper No. 2003-10, Centre for Social and Economic Research into the Global Environment, University of East Anglia, Norwich.
- Messenger Dally. 1908 How papyrus defeated South Sydney and assisted in making Eastern Suburbs great
- Muthuri, F. M., M. B. Jones, and S.K. Imbamba. 1989. Primary productivity of papyrus (Cyperus papyrus) in a tropical swamp - Lake Naivasha, Kenya, Biomass, 18: 1 - 14.
- Muthuri, F. M. and M. B. Jones. 1997. Nutrient distribution in a papyrus swamp: Lake Naivasha, Kenya. Aquatic Botany, 56: 35–50.
- Owino, A. O. and P. G. Ryan. 2006. Habitat associations of papyrus specialist birds at three papyrus swamps in western Kenya. African Journal of Ecology 44: 438-443.
- Thompson, K. 1976. Swamp development in the head waters of the White Nile. In (ed.J. Rzoska) 『『The Nile. Biology of an Ancient River.』』Monographiae Biologicae, 29. Dr.W. Junk b.v., The Hague.
- Thompson, K., P.R. Shewry & H.W. Woolhouse. 1979. Papyrus swamp development in the Upemba Basin, Zaire: Studies of population structure in Cyperus papyrus stands. Botanical Journal of the Linn. Soc. 78: 299-316.
參見
外部連結
- Purdue University: Cyperus papyrus factsheet （頁面存檔備份，存於互聯網檔案館）
- Floridata （頁面存檔備份，存於互聯網檔案館）
- 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.