Fimbristylis dichotoma aka Common Fringe Rush

Fimbristylis dichotoma looks like grass but belongs to the sedge family, Cyperaceae. Its native range covers the tropics and subtropics. Kew places it mainly in the wet tropical climate zone. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. Its form varies a lot. It also has many other scientific names, or synonyms. Plants may live for just one year. Others are short-lived perennials, which live for more than one year.

The stems grow in tufts from very short rhizomes. These tufts can form large clumps, known as tussocks. Reported stems stand about 0.3–2.5 feet [0.1–0.75 metres] tall. Some reach about 3.3 feet [1 metre]. These sizes describe the species as a whole. They do not confirm how large garden plants grow. The sources give no width for a full-grown plant. They show stems with flowers and spikes. They give no details about the flowers themselves. They also give no leaf shape, fruit details, or bloom season.

Useful Tropical Plants advises full sun and wet soil when growing it. The plant can also cope with shallow standing water. In the wild, it grows in swamps and savannahs. It also grows on grassy verges and land used for crops. It grows at rice-field edges and on plantation land. Records place it by roads and in dry rice fields too. It grows up to about 4,900 feet [1,500 metres] above sea level. A few records reach about 8,200 feet [2,500 metres]. These records do not show how much frost it withstands. Nor do they establish a hardiness zone. The source lists seed as a way to grow new plants.

People gather wild plants for useful materials. The culms, or stems, provide material for low-grade mats. The rhizomes have a scent. Records note uses for them in India but give no further details. People also use the plant as green manure. It helps hold soil in place too. One reported hair treatment mixes it with another species. People rub this mix onto the hair and scalp. This is a record of past practice. It does not prove that the treatment works.

Its growth among crops can outweigh these uses. It grows as a weed in grassland, rice fields, and plantations. Some patches cause trouble and are hard to clear. The sources name no specific pests or diseases. Useful Tropical Plants reports no known food or medicinal uses. It also lists no known hazards. That does not mean the plant is safe to eat.