Sedge

In Vietnam, sedge grows and is grown in the northern provinces from Quang Ninh to Thanh Hoa and along the coast of the South Central Coast provinces. The two main species planted are white papyrus (Cyperus tegetiformis) and brown cotton papyrus (Cyperus corymbosus).

The sedge is mainly used to weave sedge mats and produce handicrafts from sedge such as bags, lanes, sandals, papyrus and many other popular items. When using mat weaving, the sedge fibers are split thinly, dried and then weaved. Papyrus can also be spun to make larger fibers instead of being used as whole yarn. For sedge products, the domestic market consumes 30% of the sedge output, the rest is exported.

In the past, sedge and sedge mats were consumed by the Eastern European market, but since the Soviet Union and the Eastern European socialist system collapsed, these items were mainly exported to China and China. In some other countries, however, now sedge products have many difficulties in consumption.

Seagrass is a plant that grows in a humid place, with rhizomes (often called firewood) growing underground, eating 0.5-1m deep. The pneumatophores are small, vertical, and can be 1-2 meters high. Round section (white papyrus or brown sedge) or three-sided (three-sided rush). The pneumatophores of the brown sedge are larger than the white papyrus. The pneumatophores of the lower three-sided sedge are stiffer and more brittle than the two types above. Papyrus intestines are thick but spongy. Small leaves grow close to the tip of the stem, the blade is narrow and long. The flowers are hermaphrodite, growing into small flowers in the leaf axils. As mentioned above, there are three types of sedge: white-flowered papyrus, brown-flowered papyrus and three-sided papyrus. The flowers are white or brown. The fruit is very small. Papyrus seeds usually do not stick to the fruit. The seeds have the ability to germinate but are rarely used for growing planting, often planted with rhizomes (firewood).

The localities with the tradition of making traditional handicrafts from the papyrus tree are Tien Hai (Thai Binh), Kim Son (Ninh Binh), Nga Son (Thanh Hoa).

The sedge mat has long been famous and popular with the people and has entered folk songs