Common Name: Sloughgrass

General Information

Beckmannia eruciformis is a perennial grass with erect culms 50 - 150cm tall growing from elongated rhizomes. The culms are swollen at the base, forming an ovoid corm. Plants grow taller when in shallow water[].
The plant can be harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.
The species has a very wide distribution and is not thought to be threatened across its range. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Eurasia - Finland, south to Italy, east through Siberia and central Asia to the Russian Far East, through Turkey to Iran, .

Habitat

Wet meadows, swamps, marshes and shallow water[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Beckmannia eruciformis is a plant of the temperate zone, growing in continental, semi-arid and oceanic climates; it can be found at elevations up to 2,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 11 - 20°c, but can tolerate 7 - 34°c[]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -30°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at 0°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 500 - 1,300mm, but tolerates 350 - 1,500mm[].
Grows best in a sunny position, tolerating light shade[]. Prefers a moist to wet soil, succeeding in shallow water[]. Dislikes heavy clay soils[]. Tolerates moderately saline soils[, ]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.8 - 7.2, tolerating 5.5 - 7.5[].

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked[, , , , ]. A mild flavour, it can be ground into a flour and used as a cereal. The seed is very small but is easily harvested[]. It does then have to be separated from its husk, which is a very fiddly operation. Some native N. American tribes burn the husks of grass seeds to make the seed easier to eat[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The plant is used for making bedding and pillows[].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in spring in pots in a cold frame. Do not let the soil dry out. Very quick germination[]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.
If there is sufficient seed, it can be sown in situ in the spring.
Division in spring. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted straight into their permanent positions whilst smaller clumps are best potted up and kept in a cold frame until they are growing away well.