Cyperus alternifolius (Umbrella Papyrus)

Native to Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, and Cape Provinces and nearby regions, this is an herbaceous plant in the Cyperaceae family. It has spread to various parts of the world as a popular ornamental plant. The plant typically thrives in wet and marshy conditions, often found along riverbanks and in freshwater wetlands. It forms tall, slender stems topped with a whorl of leaves that spread out in a manner reminiscent of an umbrella. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. Photographed in Bogotá, Colombia.