Papyrus (Cyperus papyrus) is an aquatic member of the sedge family that grows in sun or shade. Its main feature is the bright green, smooth, rounded culms (flowering stems) which are thick at the base and up to 48" tall. Each stem is topped by a cluster of thin, bright green, shiny stalks. As they mature, they elongate and bend gracefully downward under their own weight so that the cluster becomes almost spherical in shape.
