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Summary
Eleocharis dulcis,
Chinese Water Chestnut is a species of aquatic plant in the sedge family. It is native to Asia and grows in marshes, ponds and ditches. The plant has long, thin leaves and small white flowers. Eat the corms raw or cooked. They taste deliciously sweet and crisp when fully ripe and starchy before that, and they are widely used in Chinese cooking, especially in chop suey. The dried and ground-up corm makes flour or starch used to thicken sauces and give a crisp coating to various deep-fried foods. A plant of marshes and shallow water preferring slightly acid soil conditions and a sunny position. A single corm can produce 100 corms in a growing season!
Harvesting: From late summer to early autumn, after the leaves have turned yellow and died back, harvest from the first year.
Physical Characteristics
Eleocharis dulcis is a PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9 and is frost tender. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). The plant is self-fertile.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers wet soil and can grow in water.
UK Hardiness Map
US Hardiness Map
Synonyms
E. dulcis. Heliocharis tuberosa.
Plant Habitats
Pond; Bog Garden;
Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Root
Edible Uses: Salt Salt
Corm - raw or cooked[2, 46, 61, 63, 103]. A delicious taste, it is sweet and crisp when fully ripe and is starchy before that[116, 183]. Widely used in Chinese cooking, especially in chop suey. A flour or starch can be made from the dried and ground up corm and this is used to thicken sauces and to give a crisp coating to various deep-fried foods[183]. The root is about 4cm in diameter[206], it contains about 36% starch[193]. A nutritional analysis is available[218]. The plant is used for making salt in Zimbabwe[183]. No more details.
References More on Edible Uses
| Composition
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| Figures in grams (g) or miligrams (mg) per 100g of food.
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Root (Dry weight)
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- 360 Calories per 100g
- Water : 0%
- Protein: 8g; Fat: 1.2g; Carbohydrate: 86g; Fibre: 3.5g; Ash: 5.5g;
- Minerals - Calcium: 22mg; Phosphorus: 350mg; Iron: 3.5mg; Magnesium: 0mg; Sodium: 70mg; Potassium: 2450mg; Zinc: 0mg;
- Vitamins - A: 0mg; Thiamine (B1): 0.4mg; Riboflavin (B2): 0.5mg; Niacin: 5mg; B6: 0mg; C: 25mg;
- Reference: [ 218]
- Notes:
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Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Antibacterial Hepatic Miscellany
The plant treats several ailments, including abdominal pain, amenorrhoea, hernia and liver problems[218]. The expressed juice of the tuber is bactericidal[218]. The juice expressed from the corms contains the antibiotic 'puchiin', which is effective against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Aerobacter aerogenes [1-8].
References More on Medicinal Uses
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Other Uses
Fibre Miscellany Weaving
Agroforestry uses:
It can be used in aquaculture systems and as a wetland plant to help improve water quality and habitat.
The leaf stems are used for weaving bags etc[193]. Stems are used for making sleeping mats (Sumatra, Sulawesi) and skirts (Papua New Guinea) [1-8]. Environmental: Soil improvement [1-8]. Animal feed, fodder, and forage. Stems are used as cattle feed or as mulch. [1-8]. 1. Nectary - Flowers rich in nectar and pollen:
No – Chinese water chestnut plants are not known for producing nectar-rich flowers that attract pollinators.
2. Wildlife - Food (Fruit, Seeds, Leaf litter, Shelter, Nesting, Roosting):
Yes – The edible corms are a food source for both humans and some wildlife. The plant may provide some cover and habitat for aquatic organisms but is not specifically known for nesting or roosting.
3. Invertebrate Shelter (Overwintering sites, Leaf litter, Groundcover):
Yes – The plant can provide habitat for aquatic invertebrates and some shelter, particularly in its leaf litter. The dense growth can support various aquatic life forms.
4. Pest Confuser (Smell):
No – Chinese water chestnuts do not have a strong aromatic profile that would confuse or deter pests.
Special Uses
Food Forest
References More on Other Uses
Cultivation details
A plant of marshes and shallow water, it prefers slightly acid soil conditions and a sunny position[200]. Requires a rich fertile soil[206]. Plants are not very frost hardy, the tubers should be harvested at the end of the growing season and stored in a cool damp but frost-free position until the spring[206]. The water chestnut is widely cultivated for its edible tubers in China, there are some named varieties[183, 200]. It requires a 7-month frost-free growing season in order to produce a crop[116, 117]. Plants perform best at temperatures between 30 - 35°c during the leafy stage of growth, and about 5°c lower when the tubers are being formed[206]. This species is unlikely to succeed outdoors in Britain, though by starting the plants off early in a greenhouse it might be possible to obtain reasonable yields in good summers[K]. Eleocharis dulcis grows well in tropical and sub-tropical areas below an elevation of 1,200 metres[300
]. Plants perform best at temperatures between 30 - 35°c during the leafy stage of growth, and about 5°c lower when the tubers are being formed[206
]. A minimum soil/water temperature of 15°c is required for adequate development of the corms[300
]. Yields of 20 - 40 tonnes per hectare can be achieved[300
]. The corms are typically harvested in late summer to early autumn.
Chinese water chestnuts flower in mid to late summer. Chinese water chestnut is self-fertile. Chinese water chestnuts grow rapidly, often reaching full maturity within 6 to 8 months after planting.
References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information
Temperature Converter
Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:
Fahrenheit:
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Plant Propagation
Seed - we have no details for this species but suggest sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse. Only just cover the seed and place the pot in 3cm of water to keep the soil wet. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division. Harvest the tubers at the end of the growing season, store them in a cool but frost-free place over the winter and plant them out in early spring.
Other Names
If available other names are mentioned here
Apulid, Biqi, Buslig, Chee-Chang, Chikai, Chinese Water Chestnut, Go nung, Ground-chestnut, Haeo cheen, Haeo-song krathiem, Inu kuro guwai, Kokthum, Kurogu-wai, Kuwai, Li zi, M'pofa, Ma Ti, Ma-Tai, Macre, Mampufa, Mem plong khtim, Okuroguwai, Pani phul, Po-chi, Singhara, Tall spike-rush, Tike, Waterchestnut, Waternut, Ye thit eir thee,
Native Range
TEMPERATE ASIA: Honshu, Japan, Kyushu, Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan,China. TROPICAL ASIA: India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, PACIFIC: Micronesia, United States, Northern Mariana Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, Tonga, Samoa AUSTRALASIA: Australia, New South Wales (northeast), Queensland, Western Australia (north), Northern Territory, AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Côte D Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles.
Weed Potential
Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section.
Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it's worth checking.
E. dulcis is a weed of drainage and irrigation canals where dense populations of the plant can impede water flow to agricultural areas such as rice fields. It is a problem, but not a serious weed, in tidal ricefields in Indonesia [1-8]
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This taxon has not yet been assessed.
Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.
Expert comment
Author
(Burm.f.)Trin. ex Hensch.
Botanical References
200
Links / References
For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.
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