Jobs Tears

Growth habit

Grass/Sedge

Perennation

Cultivated as annual

Native distribution

SE Asia

Biocultural value

Seeds are made into Buddhist prayer beads in Korea where it is believed that wearing the seed necklaces inproves an over-all feeling of well-being.

Location

Robison Herb Garden

Source of plant

Cornell Botanic Gardens

Description

Annual to 1.5m. Stems robust, erect. Leaves narrow-lanceolate, to 60x5cm. Inflorescence arching gracefully; male racemes to 5cm; spikelets to 1cm; utricles ovoid-globose, hard, to 13mm, white to grey, tinged blue to brown.

USDA Hardiness Zone

9

Special characteristics

tender perennial, other ethnobotanical uses