Cyperus conglomeratus

The stiff tussocks of this desert sedge bind shifting sands and keep Kuwait’s roads from being buried.

Cyperus conglomeratus is a perennial plant of the sedge family, forming dense, stiff tussocks with narrow, rolled leaves. Compact, brownish heads of spikelets grow at the tips of the stems. Its extensive rhizomes and roots reach deep into the sand, stabilising the dunes. It is one of the most drought-resistant plants of the sandy deserts of Arabia and North Africa.

Significance in the country

In Kuwait communities of this sedge cover sandy plains and low dunes, and the plant is one of the main species used for protection against drifting sand. Its tussocks shelter lizards and small desert rodents.

Where it grows

It grows on sandy land in the interior – in the Al Jahra and Al Ahmadi governorates, especially in the south and west of Kuwait.

More: Wikipedia (en)