Editing Cyperus papyrus (section)

==Ecology==
[[Image:Papyrus along the Nile in Uganda - by Michael Shade.jpg|thumb|right|Papyrus growing wild on the banks of the Nile in [[Uganda]]]]
Papyrus can be found in tropical rain forests, tolerating annual temperatures of {{Convert|20|to|30|°C|°F}} and a [[soil pH]] of 6.0 to 8.5. It flowers in late summer, and prefers full sun to partly shady conditions. Like most tropical plants, it is sensitive to frost. In the United States, it has become [[Invasive species|invasive]] in [[Florida]] and has escaped from cultivation in [[Louisiana]], [[California]], and [[Hawaii]].<ref name=":1" />

Papyrus sedge forms vast stands in swamps, shallow lakes, and along stream banks throughout the wetter parts of Africa, but it has become rare in the [[Nile Delta]]. In deeper waters, it is the chief constituent of the floating, tangled masses of vegetation known as ''[[sudd]]''. It also occurs in [[Madagascar]], and some Mediterranean areas such as [[Sicily]] and the [[Levant]].

The "feather-duster" flowering heads make ideal nesting sites for many social species of birds. As in most sedges, [[pollination]] is by wind, not insects, and the mature fruits after release are distributed by water.

Papyrus is a [[C4 carbon fixation|C4]] sedge that forms highly productive [[Habitat#Monotypic habitat|monotypic]] stands over large areas of wetland in Africa.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}