2593

12(3): Medicinal and poisonous plants 3

Fimbristylis Vahl

Enum. pl. 2: 285 (1805).

CYPERACEAE

x = 5; Fimbristylis falcata: 2n = 22, 44, Fimbristylis miliacea: 2n = 10, 20

Fimbristylis comprises about 200 species and has a pantropical distribution, with some species extending to the warmer parts of the temperate regions. About 80 species have been found in the Malesian region.

Fimbristylis is occasionally used in traditional medicine, in South-East Asia mainly for poulticing to treat fever. In Peninsular Malaysia Fimbristylis dura (Zoll. & Moritzi) Merr. is used as a tonic after childbirth. In Brunei Fimbristylis pauciflora R.Br. is rubbed on the body to induce labour. Fimbristylis dichotoma (L.) Vahl is used as a diuretic in China.
Some Fimbristylis species, especially Fimbristylis umbellaris (Lamk) Vahl (synonym: Fimbristylis globulosa (Retz.) Kunth), are used for matting, others as green manure in rice fields, e.g. Fimbristylis dichotoma, Fimbristylis pauciflora and Fimbristylis schoenoides (Retz.) Vahl, or as forage, e.g. Fimbristylis dichotoma and Fimbristylis miliacea.

Rhizome sections of Fimbristylis falcata significantly reduced radial growth of Fusarium oxysporum; the antifungal activity was found to be due to the presence of a volatile compound. Quinones such as cyperaquinone have been isolated from Fimbristylis dichotoma rhizomes; these compounds are also found in Cyperus species. Flavonoids such as aureusidin, delphinidin, luteolin and tricin have been isolated from leaves and inflorescences of Fimbristylis dichotoma.

Annual or perennial herbs, usually with short rhizome and tufted stems; stems usually erect, subterete to more or less angular, solid. Leaves in a rosette, often also a few in lower part of stems and then often reduced to bladeless or short-bladed sheaths, simple, linear, sessile, with closed sheaths at base. Inflorescence terminal, simple or more or less compound, consisting of spikelets, sometimes capitate or consisting of a single spikelet; bracts foliaceous, but often much reduced; spikelets few to many-flowered, axis usually persistent after falling of glumes and fruits. Flowers simple and naked, each subtended by a bract (glume), bisexual, with 1—3 free stamens and a superior, 1-celled ovary having a style articulated at base and ending into 2—3 stigmas. Fruit a trigonous or lenticular nut, orbicular to oblong-linear, smooth to tuberculate, reticulate or ribbed. Seed with thin testa, embryo small, surrounded by abundant endosperm.
Fimbristylis is often classified in the tribe Fimbristylideae, together with Eleocharis, which resembles Fimbristylis species with a single spikelet but differs in the presence of flower bristles, and Bulbostylis, which differs in its persistent style base. It has also been included in the tribe Cypereae, comprising, among others, Bulbostylis, Cyperus, Eleocharis and Scirpus. Cyperus also differs in its persistent style base.
The names Fimbristylis littoralis, Fimbristylis miliacea and Fimbristylis quinquangularis are used for 2 closely related, widespread species, and this makes it difficult to interpret the literature. Here Fimbristylis littoralis is considered synonymous with Fimbristylis miliacea, and Fimbristylis quinquangularis (Vahl) Kunth representing another species differing in 5-angled stems and leaves not laterally flattened. Probably both species are used indiscriminately.

Most Fimbristylis species prefer wet localities such as swamps, rice fields, margins of lakes and river banks, usually in the lowland, rarely above 1500 m altitude. Some occur in forest, savannas or along the seashore. A few species (e.g. Fimbristylis miliacea) are troublesome weeds in rice fields, germinating very quickly and recovering rapidly after ploughing.

In comparison with other Cyperaceae genera such as Cyperus, many Fimbristylis species have limited areas of distribution, although several are widely distributed, which is the case for both species treated here. However, Fimbristylis falcata is rare in the Malesian region, whereas Fimbristylis miliacea is a very common weed.

Nothing is known about the pharmacological properties of Fimbristylis. Possibly these are comparable to those of Cyperus, which is used in traditional medicine for similar purposes, e.g. for poulticing in cases of fever, and for which febrifuge properties have been demonstrated. Research has mainly focused on the control of weedy species such as Fimbristylis miliacea.

[247]Flora Malesiana (various editors), 1950—. Foundation Flora Malesiana. Rijksherbarium/Hortus Botanicus, Leiden, the Netherlands.
[331]Hegnauer, R., 1962—1997. Chemotaxonomie der Pflanzen [Chemotaxonomy of plants]. 11 volumes. Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel, Switzerland.
[362]Holm, L.G., Plucknett, D.L., Pancho, J.V. & Herberger, J.P., 1977. The world's worst weeds. Distribution and biology. East-West Center, the University Press of Hawaii, Honolulu, United States. 609 pp.
[760]Quisumbing, E., 1978. Medicinal plants of the Philippines. Katha Publishing Co., Quezon City, the Philippines. 1262 pp.

R.H.M.J. Lemmens

Fimbristylis falcata
Fimbristylis miliacea

Lemmens, R.H.M.J., 2003. Fimbristylis Vahl. In: Lemmens, R.H.M.J. and Bunyapraphatsara, N. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 12(3): Medicinal and poisonous plants 3. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record: prota4u.org/prosea

The following species in this genus are important in this commodity group and are treated separatedly in this database:
Fimbristylis falcata
Fimbristylis miliacea