Nutritional Freshwater Life
86
aggressive weed of rice. It is classified
as a weed because the seeds can go
dormant, the grain coat is red, and
the spikelet shatters. It yields edible
rice (Fasahat et al., 2012; Biodiversity
India).
Nutritional Facts
Proximate Composition (DM)
Moisture content (%)
12.15
Protein (g per 100 g) (N × 5.95)
8.0
Fat content (%)
2.2
Amylose (%)
25.2
Source: Data from Fasahat et al. (2012).
Eleocharis dulcis (Burm. f.) (Trin. ex Hensch.)
Order: Poales
Family: Cyperaceae
Common name: Chinese water chestnut.
Distribution: Native to Asia (China,
Japan, India, Philippines, etc.), Australia,
tropical Africa, and various islands of the
Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Habitat: Marshy land and shallow
waters.
Description: This species is leafless and
perennial. The plants grow from 50 to
200 cm tall and are deep shining green
in color. They produce many flowers that
are very small and occur on the tips of
the culms. The plants have elongated
stolons with a tuber attached to them
at their bottom. The plants produce two
types of tubers: the first type for propagation and the second for storage. The
second type of corms (tubers) is the edible water chestnut (Thulaja, 2005).
Nutritional Facts
Proximate Composition (%) and
Minerals (mg/100 g WW)
Ash Sugar Starch Ca
K
P
0.84 10.28 6.12 8.70 409 49
Source: Data from Wong (1964).
Moisture and Protein (% WW)
Moisture
Protein
81.1
13.9
Source: Data from Hasan and
Chakrabarti (2009).