General Information:

These perennial plants are most commonly found clumped together in shallow, marsh water usually shallower than 8 inches deep. They can grow up to 8 feet tall and have broad, linear leaf blades. The brown, cylindrical flower can persist through autumn and will then become a mass of white. A yellowish club-like flower can also appear above the brown flower.

Medicinal Uses:

The roots can be smashed and used for wound treatment for cuts, sores, inflammations, burns and scalds. The flowers are also commonly used for abdominal pain, amenorrhea, cystitis, vaginitis and dysuria. 

Did You Know:

The young shoots can be consumed, similar to asparagus, and the immature flower spikes can be boiled and eaten like corn on the cob.