Manyampaga na ing palat (it’s the flowering season for cogon grass). On my way to my weekly radio program last Saturday, I saw fields of white cogon flowers in almost all the grasslands I passed by. This is the worst time for asthmatics, I said to myself. As the fluffy white flowers sway with the wind and detach from the stalk, their pollen travel long distances and trigger allergic reaction to some people. This is how cogon grass seeds are dispersed. One plant can produce up to 3,000 seeds.
Cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica), ‘talahib’ and ‘kugon’ in Tagalog and ‘palat’ in kapampangan, is an aggressively invasive perennial grass species. It is considered one of the top ten worst weeds in the world and an invasive species in 73 countries. It has invaded all continents except Antarctica. The long leaves have sharp edges and are embedded with silica crystals which is why animals don’t eat it, so they thrive undisturbed.
Cogon grass is an ubiquitous part of Philippine landscape. It is native to tropical and subtropical Asia, Micronesia, Melanesia, Australia, Africa, and Southern Europe. Cogon grass has been introduced to the U.S. both accidentally and intentionally. It arrived as packing material in produce from Japan as well as in the ballast of ships. Cogon grass was introduced into Florida and Mississippi as forage and soil stabilization.
Cogon grass is a pyrophyte, meaning it can tolerate fire. It is also highly flammable, burning intensely and quickly. No wonder we have the term “ningas kogon”, a trait characterized by the tendency to start something with great enthusiasm but then quickly lose interest. Cogon grass exudes substances into the soil that suppress other plant’s ability to grow, allowing it to form dense colonies wherever it establishes.
But not everything about cogon grass is bad. When I was an elementary student, we use the stalks of the cogon flowers to make picture frames in our practical arts subject. In the Philippines cogon is widely used as roofing material for nipa huts and handmade paper. Some parts of it are edible. Young inflorescences (flower cluster) and shoots may be eaten cooked. The root is fibrous but pleasant to chew, containing starch and sugar. The silica in the grass can be extracted and used.
Cogon is also a medicinal plant. According to a research which can be read in the website https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7962198/, cogon is an edible medicinal herb which exhibits a wide range of therapeutic potential including immunomodulatory, antibacterial, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and liver protection activities.
According to naturalmedicinalherbs.net, the flowers and the roots are antibacterial, diuretic, febrifuge, sialagogue, styptic and tonic. The flowers are used in the treatment of hemorrhages, wounds etc. They are decocted and used to treat urinary tract infections, fevers, thirst etc. The root is astringent, antifebrile, diuretic, emollient, hemostatic, restorative and tonic. It is used in the treatment of nose bleeds, hematuria, hematemesis, oedema and jaundice. The root has antibacterial action against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus dysenteriae etc. A decoction of the root is used as an anthelmintic and also to treat digestive disorders such as indigestion, diarrhea and dysentery. Extracts of the plant have shown viricidal and anticancer activity.
Cogon grass’ multiple uses prove that everything in nature has a purpose and a role in the ecosystem. It just needs to be in the right place.