The root of the plant was eaten, while from its stem was made the famous Egyptian paper.

The manufacture of the papyrus was as follows; The outer rind having been removed, there was exposed a laminated interior, consisting of a number of successive layers of inner cuticle, generally about twenty.

These were carefully separated from one another by the point of a needle, and thus were obtained a number of strips of the raw material, which were then arranged in rows, covered with a paste, and crossed at right angles by another set of strips placed over them, after which the whole was converted into paper by means of a strong pressure.

A papyrus roll was made by uniting together a greater or less number of such sheets.

The best paper was made from the inmost layers of cuticle.