Over 80 genera of rush- or grass-like, mostly perennial herbs, belong to this family. Most of them are found worldwide and often in wet places. This genus, with about 600 species of the tropics and subtropics, includes the papyrus of the ancients,C. papyrus, and a few other species that are cultivated for making mats. C. papyrus, a monocotyledon, rhizomatous, perennial, herbaceous plant grows to 15 feet tall and is native to north and tropical Africa. The papyrus is popular around tanks or aquaria in greenhouses. The papyri of the ancient Egyptians were made of wet strips of the inner tissue (pith) of the stem, which were laid side by side and beaten and pressed together to form a continous sheet of paper. Today, people of Lake Tana in Ethiopia cut and tie this plant into bundles to make boats.