Question 1

What is Paspalidium flavidum?

Accepted Answer

Paspalidium flavidum is a semi-aquatic perennial grass belonging to the family Poaceae. It grows naturally in wetlands, paddy margins, and slow-moving waterways across tropical Asia, including Sri Lanka, where it is catalogued as an ayurvedic medicinal plant.

Question 2

Where is Paspalidium flavidum found in Sri Lanka?

Accepted Answer

The species occurs throughout Sri Lanka's wet and intermediate zones, particularly along paddy field edges, irrigation channels, and seasonal marshes. It is also recorded in the dry zone wherever standing water persists after the monsoon seasons.

Question 3

What are the traditional medicinal uses of Paspalidium flavidum?

Accepted Answer

Within Sri Lanka's ayurvedic tradition, wetland grasses of this type are generally regarded as cooling and mildly diuretic. Practitioners have historically used such grasses in compound preparations for inflammatory or febrile conditions, though specific applications vary between regional traditions.

Question 4

What is the catalogue reference for Paspalidium flavidum in Sri Lanka?

Accepted Answer

The species is registered in Sri Lanka's official ayurvedic medicinal plant catalogue under the reference LK94005966, maintained by the Department of Ayurveda under the Ministry of Health.

Question 5

How do you identify Paspalidium flavidum?

Accepted Answer

Key identifying features include erect, unbranched culms rooting at lower nodes in water, flat leaf blades with a short membranous ligule, and an inflorescence of alternately arranged racemes bearing small, smooth, yellowish spikelets without awns.

Question 6

Is Paspalidium flavidum native to Sri Lanka?

Accepted Answer

The species is part of a pan-tropical distribution spanning Asia and Africa, so it is considered naturalised rather than strictly endemic in Sri Lanka. It is widely recorded across the island as part of the native wetland flora.

Question 7

Why are medicinal wetland grasses important to Sri Lanka's biodiversity?

Accepted Answer

Wetland grasses stabilise soil, filter agricultural runoff, and support aquatic ecosystems. Their documentation in the ayurvedic catalogue reflects centuries of traditional knowledge, which is increasingly valuable as wetland habitats face pressure from land-use change and urbanisation.