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'''''Cyperus rotundus''''' ('''coco-grass''',<ref name=GRIN>{{GRIN | accessdate = 2017-12-16}}</ref> '''Java grass''',<ref name=GRIN /> '''nut grass''',<ref name=GRIN /> '''purple nut sedge'''<ref name=GRIN /> or '''purple nutsedge''',<ref name=BSBI07>{{cite web |title=BSBI List 2007 |publisher=Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland |url=http://www.bsbi.org.uk/BSBIList2007.xls |format=xls |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6VqJ46atN?url=http://www.bsbi.org.uk/BSBIList2007.xls |archive-date=2015-01-25 |accessdate=2014-10-17 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref> '''red nut sedge''',<ref name=GRIN /> [[Khmer language|Khmer]] '''kravanh chruk'''<ref name=martin>MARTIN, Robert & POL Chanthy, 2009, ''Weeds of Upland Cambodia'', [[Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research|ACIAR]] Monagraph 141, Canberra, [http://aciar.gov.au/files/node/11477/mn141_weeds_of_upland_crops_in_cambodia_khmer_tr_19691.pdf]</ref>) is a species of [[Cyperaceae|sedge]] (Cyperaceae) native to [[Africa]], southern and central [[Europe]] (north to [[France]] and [[Austria]]), and southern [[Asia]]. The word ''cyperus'' derives from the [[Greek language|Greek]] {{lang|grc|κύπερος}}, ''kyperos'',<ref>{{LSJ|ku/peros|κύπερος|ref}}.</ref> and ''rotundus'' is from [[Latin]], meaning "round".<ref>{{L&S|rotundus|ref}}</ref> The earliest attested form of the word ''cyperus'' is the [[Mycenaean Greek]] {{lang|gmy|𐀓𐀞𐀫}}, ''ku-pa-ro'', written in [[Linear B]] syllabic script.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.palaeolexicon.com/ShowWord.aspx?Id=16798|publisher=Palaeolexicon. Word study tool of ancient languages|title=The Linear B word ku-pa-ro}}</ref>
'''''Cyperus rotundus''''' ('''coco-grass''',<ref name=GRIN>{{GRIN | accessdate = 2017-12-16}}</ref> '''Java grass''',<ref name=GRIN /> '''nut grass''',<ref name=GRIN /> '''purple nut sedge'''<ref name=GRIN /> or '''purple nutsedge''',<ref name=BSBI07>{{cite web |title=BSBI List 2007 |publisher=Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland |url=http://www.bsbi.org.uk/BSBIList2007.xls |format=xls |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6VqJ46atN?url=http://www.bsbi.org.uk/BSBIList2007.xls |archive-date=2015-01-25 |accessdate=2014-10-17 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref> '''red nut sedge''',<ref name=GRIN /> [[Khmer language|Khmer]] '''kravanh chruk'''<ref name=martin>MARTIN, Robert & POL Chanthy, 2009, ''Weeds of Upland Cambodia'', [[Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research|ACIAR]] Monagraph 141, Canberra, [http://aciar.gov.au/files/node/11477/mn141_weeds_of_upland_crops_in_cambodia_khmer_tr_19691.pdf]</ref>) is a species of [[Cyperaceae|sedge]] (Cyperaceae) native to [[Africa]], southern and central [[Europe]] (north to [[France]] and [[Austria]]), and southern [[Asia]]. The word ''cyperus'' derives from the [[Greek language|Greek]] {{lang|grc|κύπερος}}, ''kyperos'',<ref>{{LSJ|ku/peros|κύπερος|ref}}.</ref> and ''rotundus'' is from [[Latin]], meaning "round".<ref>{{L&S|rotundus|ref}}</ref> The earliest attested form of the word ''cyperus'' is the [[Mycenaean Greek]] {{lang|gmy|𐀓𐀞𐀫}}, ''ku-pa-ro'', written in [[Linear B]] syllabic script.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.palaeolexicon.com/ShowWord.aspx?Id=16798|publisher=Palaeolexicon. Word study tool of ancient languages|title=The Linear B word ku-pa-ro}}</ref>


''Cyperus rotundus'' is a [[perennial plant]], that may reach a height of up to 140&nbsp;cm (55&nbsp;inches). The names "nut grass" and "nut sedge" – shared with the related species ''[[Cyperus esculentus]]'' – are derived from its [[tuber]]s, that somewhat resemble [[Nut (fruit)|nuts]], although [[botany|botanically]] they have nothing to do with nuts.
''Cyperus rotundus'' is a [[perennial plant]], that may reach a height of up to {{convert|140|cm|in|0|abbr=on}}. The names "nut grass" and "nut sedge" – shared with the related species ''[[Cyperus esculentus]]'' – are derived from its [[tuber]]s, that somewhat resemble [[Nut (fruit)|nuts]], although [[botany|botanically]] they have nothing to do with nuts.


As in other [[Cyperaceae]], the leaves sprout in ranks of three from the base of the plant, around 5–20&nbsp;cm long. The [[flower]] [[Plant stem|stems]] have a triangular cross-section. The flower is [[Hermaphrodite#In plants|bisexual]] and has three [[stamen|stamina]] and a three-stigma [[carpel]], with the flower head having 3–8 unequal rays. The fruit is a three-angled [[achene]].
As in other [[Cyperaceae]], the leaves sprout in ranks of three from the base of the plant, around {{convert|5-20|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} long. The [[flower]] [[Plant stem|stems]] have a triangular cross-section. The flower is [[Hermaphrodite#In plants|bisexual]] and has three [[stamen|stamina]] and a three-stigma [[carpel]], with the flower head having three to eight unequal rays. The fruit is a three-angled [[achene]].


The root system of a young plant initially forms white, fleshy [[rhizome]]s, up to 25&nbsp;mm in dimension, in chains. Some rhizomes grow upward in the soil, then form a [[bulb]]-like structure from which new shoots and roots grow, and from the new roots, new rhizomes grow. Other rhizomes grow horizontally or downward, and form dark reddish-brown tubers or chains of tubers.
The root system of a young plant initially forms white, fleshy [[rhizome]]s, up to {{convert|25|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} in dimension, in chains. Some rhizomes grow upward in the soil, then form a [[bulb]]-like structure from which new shoots and roots grow, and from the new roots, new rhizomes grow. Other rhizomes grow horizontally or downward, and form dark reddish-brown tubers or chains of tubers.


It prefers dry conditions, but will tolerate moist soils, and often grows in wastelands and in crop fields.<ref name=martin />
It prefers dry conditions, but will tolerate moist soils, and often grows in wastelands and in crop fields.<ref name=martin />
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== History ==
== History ==
[[File:Naturalis Biodiversity Center - L.1378255 - Cyperus rotundus L. subsp. rotundus - Cyperaceae - Plant type specimen.jpeg|thumb|''Cyperus rotundus L. subsp. rotundus'', herbarium specimen isotype, 1839]]
[[File:Naturalis Biodiversity Center - L.1378255 - Cyperus rotundus L. subsp. rotundus - Cyperaceae - Plant type specimen.jpeg|thumb|''Cyperus rotundus L. subsp. rotundus'', herbarium specimen isotype, 1839]]
''C. rotundus'' was part of a set of starchy tuberous sedges that may have been eaten by Pliocene hominins. It was a staple of Aboriginal populations in Central Australia.<ref name=dentcalc>Buckley S, Usai D, Jakob T, Radini A, Hardy K (2014) Dental Calculus Reveals Unique Insights into Food Items, Cooking and Plant Processing in Prehistoric Central Sudan. PLoS ONE 9(7): e100808. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0100808 http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0100808</ref>
''C. rotundus'' was part of a set of starchy tuberous sedges that may have been eaten by Pliocene hominins. It was a staple of Aboriginal populations in Central Australia.<ref name=dentcalc>{{cite journal | doi = 10.1371/journal.pone.0100808}}</ref>


Biomarkers and microscopic evidence of ''C. rotundus'' are present in human [[dental calculus]] found at the [[Al Khiday]] archaeological complex in central [[Sudan]] dating from before 6700 BCE to the [[Meroitic language|Meroitic]] pre-Islamic Kingdom of 300–400 CE. It is suggested that ''C. rotundus'' consumption may have contributed to the relatively low frequency of [[dental caries]] among the Meroitic population of Al Khiday because of its ability to inhibit ''[[Streptococcus mutans]]''.<ref name=dentcalc />
Biomarkers and microscopic evidence of ''C. rotundus'' are present in human [[dental calculus]] found at the [[Al Khiday]] archaeological complex in central [[Sudan]] dating from before 6700 BC to the [[Meroitic language|Meroitic]] pre-Islamic Kingdom of 300–400 AD. It is suggested that ''C. rotundus'' consumption may have contributed to the relatively low frequency of [[dental caries]] among the Meroitic population of Al Khiday because of its ability to inhibit ''[[Streptococcus mutans]]''.<ref name=dentcalc />


''C. rotundus'' was employed in ancient Egypt, Mycenean Greece, and elsewhere as an aromatic and to purify water. It was used by ancient Greek physicians [[Theophrastus]], [[Pliny the Elder]], and [[Dioscorides]] as both medicine and perfume.<ref name=dentcalc />
''C. rotundus'' was employed in ancient Egypt, Mycenean Greece, and elsewhere as an aromatic and to purify water. It was used by ancient Greek physicians [[Theophrastus]], [[Pliny the Elder]], and [[Dioscorides]] as both medicine and perfume.<ref name=dentcalc />
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[[File:Cyperus rotundus by kadavoor.JPG|thumb|''Cyperus rotundus'' [[inflorescence]], [[Kerala]]]]
[[File:Cyperus rotundus by kadavoor.JPG|thumb|''Cyperus rotundus'' [[inflorescence]], [[Kerala]]]]
[[File:Nutgrass Cyperus rotundus stem cross section and flower head.jpg|thumb|right|Flower stem showing triangular cross-section]]
[[File:Nutgrass Cyperus rotundus stem cross section and flower head.jpg|thumb|right|Flower stem showing triangular cross-section]]
''C. rotundus'' has many beneficial uses. It is a staple carbohydrate in tropical regions for recent hunter-gatherers and is a famine food in some agrarian cultures.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Bhandari|first1=MM|title=Famine Foods in the Rajasthan Desert|journal=Economic Botany|date=1974|volume=28|issue=1|page=78|doi=10.1080/09735070.2010.11886369}}</ref>
''C. rotundus'' has many beneficial uses. It is a staple carbohydrate in tropical regions for recent hunter-gatherers and is a famine food in some agrarian cultures.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Bhandari|first1=MM|title=Famine Foods in the Rajasthan Desert|journal=Economic Botany |date=1974 |volume=28 |issue=1 |page=78 |doi=10.1080/09735070.2010.11886369}}</ref>


=== Folk medicine ===
=== Folk medicine ===
Line 37: Line 37:
In [[traditional Chinese medicine]] it is considered the primary [[qi]]-regulating [[herb]].
In [[traditional Chinese medicine]] it is considered the primary [[qi]]-regulating [[herb]].


The plant is mentioned in the ancient Indian [[Ayurveda|ayurvedic medicine]] [[Charaka Samhita]] (''circa'' 100 AD). Modern ayurvedic medicine uses the plant, known as ''musta'' or ''musta moola [[churna]]'',<ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 15013181 | doi=10.1016/j.jep.2003.09.042 | volume=90 | issue=2–3 | title=Effect of polyherbal formulation on experimental models of inflammatory bowel diseases |date=February 2004 | journal=J Ethnopharmacol | pages=195–204| author1=Jagtap | first1=A. G. | last2=Shirke | first2=S. S. | last3=Phadke | first3=A. S. }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Effects of Ayurvedic treatment on forty-three patients of ulcerative colitis|author=Manish V. Patel|journal=Ayu|date=October 2010|volume=31|issue=4|pages=478–481|pmc=3202252|pmid=22048543|doi=10.4103/0974-8520.82046|display-authors=etal}}</ref> for treating [[fever]]s, [[Gastrointestinal tract|digestive system]] disorders, [[dysmenorrhea]] and other maladies.
The plant is mentioned in the ancient Indian [[Ayurveda|ayurvedic medicine]] [[Charaka Samhita]] (''circa'' 100 AD). Modern ayurvedic medicine uses the plant, known as ''musta'' or ''musta moola [[churna]]'',<ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 15013181 | doi=10.1016/j.jep.2003.09.042 | volume=90 | issue=2–3 | title=Effect of polyherbal formulation on experimental models of inflammatory bowel diseases |date=February 2004 | journal=J Ethnopharmacol | pages=195–204| author1=Jagtap | first1=A. G. | last2=Shirke | first2=S. S. | last3=Phadke | first3=A. S. }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Effects of Ayurvedic treatment on forty-three patients of ulcerative colitis|author=Manish V. Patel|journal=Ayu|date=October 2010 |volume=31 |issue=4 |pages=478–481 |pmc=3202252 | pmid=22048543|doi=10.4103/0974-8520.82046 |display-authors=etal}}</ref> for treating [[fever]]s, [[Gastrointestinal tract|digestive system]] disorders, [[dysmenorrhea]] and other maladies.


Arabs of the [[Levant]] traditionally use roasted tubers, while they are still hot, or hot ashes from burned tubers, to treat [[wound]]s, [[bruise]]s, [[carbuncle]]s, etc. Western and Islamic herbalists including [[Dioscorides]], [[Galen]], [[Serapion the Younger|Serapion]], [[Paulus Aegineta]], [[Avicenna]], [[Rhazes]], and [[Charles Alston (botanist)|Charles Alston]] have described medical uses as [[stomachic]], [[emmenagogue]], and [[deobstruent]], and in [[emollient]] plasters.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gYo-AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA205|title=The seven books of Paulus Aegineta: Translated from the Greek|author=Aegineta Paulus (translation and commentary by Francis Adams)|year=1847}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t6m8VvAy8f4C&pg=PA431|title=Lectures on the materia medica: containing the natural history of drugs|author=Charles Alston|year=1770}}</ref>
Arabs of the [[Levant]] traditionally use roasted tubers, while they are still hot, or hot ashes from burned tubers, to treat [[wound]]s, [[bruise]]s, [[carbuncle]]s, etc. Western and Islamic herbalists including [[Dioscorides]], [[Galen]], [[Serapion the Younger|Serapion]], [[Paulus Aegineta]], [[Avicenna]], [[Rhazes]], and [[Charles Alston (botanist)|Charles Alston]] have described medical uses as [[stomachic]], [[emmenagogue]], and [[deobstruent]], and in [[emollient]] plasters.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gYo-AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA205|title=The seven books of Paulus Aegineta: Translated from the Greek|author=Aegineta Paulus (translation and commentary by Francis Adams)|year=1847}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t6m8VvAy8f4C&pg=PA431|title=Lectures on the materia medica: containing the natural history of drugs|author=Charles Alston|year=1770}}</ref>
Line 44: Line 44:


=== Modern uses and studies ===
=== Modern uses and studies ===
Several [[pharmacology|pharmacologically]] active substances have been identified in ''C. rotundus'': [[α-cyperone]], [[β-selinene]], [[cyperene]], [[patchoulenone]], [[sugeonol]], [[kobusone]], and [[isokobusone]], that may scientifically explain the folk- and alternative-medicine uses.{{medcn|date=November 2014}} A [[sesquiterpene]], [[rotundone]], so called because it was originally extracted from the tuber of this plant, is responsible for the spicy aroma of black pepper and the peppery taste of certain Australian Shiraz wines.<ref>Determination of Rotundone, the Pepper Aroma Impact Compound, in Grapes and Wine. Tracey E. Siebert, Claudia Wood, Gordon M. Elsey and Alan P. Pollnitz. J. Agric. Food Chem., 2008, 56 (10), pp 3745–3748. URL: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf800184t. Accessed 9/10/2012.</ref>
Several [[pharmacology|pharmacologically]] active substances have been identified in ''C. rotundus'': [[α-cyperone]], [[β-selinene]], [[cyperene]], [[patchoulenone]], [[sugeonol]], [[kobusone]], and [[isokobusone]], that may scientifically explain the folk- and alternative-medicine uses.{{medcn|date=November 2014}} A [[sesquiterpene]], [[rotundone]], so called because it was originally extracted from the tuber of this plant, is responsible for the spicy aroma of black pepper and the peppery taste of certain Australian Shiraz wines.<ref>{{cite journal | doi = 10.1021/jf800184t}}</ref>


Anti-microbial, anti-malarial, anti-oxidant, and anti-diabetic compounds have been isolated and identified from ''C. rotundus''.<ref name=dentcalc />
Anti-microbial, anti-malarial, anti-oxidant, and anti-diabetic compounds have been isolated and identified from ''C. rotundus''.<ref name=dentcalc />


Extract from leaves and tubers of ''Cyperus rotundus L.'' increase the adventitious rooting of different species. These extracts contain a large amount of auxins and phenolic compounds that promote the rooting of cuttings and seedlings.<ref>Effect of Cyperus rotundus L. leaf and tuber extracts and synthetic auxins applied to stem cuttings of Duranta repens L.. Rev. bras. plantas med. [online]. 2013, vol.15, n.4, suppl.1, pp.639-645. ISSN 1516-0572. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1516-05722013000500003.</ref>
Extract from leaves and tubers of ''Cyperus rotundus L.'' increase the adventitious rooting of different species. These extracts contain a large amount of [[auxin]]s and [[phenolic compound]]s that promote the rooting of cuttings and seedlings.<ref>{{cite journal | doi = 10.1590/S1516-05722013000500003}}</ref>


=== Food ===
=== Food ===

Revision as of 18:23, 25 June 2018

Coco-grass
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Cyperaceae
Genus: Cyperus
Species:
C. rotundus
Binomial name
Cyperus rotundus
This article contains special characters. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols.

Cyperus rotundus (coco-grass,[1] Java grass,[1] nut grass,[1] purple nut sedge[1] or purple nutsedge,[2] red nut sedge,[1] Khmer kravanh chruk[3]) is a species of sedge (Cyperaceae) native to Africa, southern and central Europe (north to France and Austria), and southern Asia. The word cyperus derives from the Greek κύπερος, kyperos,[4] and rotundus is from Latin, meaning "round".[5] The earliest attested form of the word cyperus is the Mycenaean Greek 𐀓𐀞𐀫, ku-pa-ro, written in Linear B syllabic script.[6]

Cyperus rotundus is a perennial plant, that may reach a height of up to 140 cm (55 in). The names "nut grass" and "nut sedge" – shared with the related species Cyperus esculentus – are derived from its tubers, that somewhat resemble nuts, although botanically they have nothing to do with nuts.

As in other Cyperaceae, the leaves sprout in ranks of three from the base of the plant, around 5–20 cm (2–8 in) long. The flower stems have a triangular cross-section. The flower is bisexual and has three stamina and a three-stigma carpel, with the flower head having three to eight unequal rays. The fruit is a three-angled achene.

The root system of a young plant initially forms white, fleshy rhizomes, up to 25 mm (1.0 in) in dimension, in chains. Some rhizomes grow upward in the soil, then form a bulb-like structure from which new shoots and roots grow, and from the new roots, new rhizomes grow. Other rhizomes grow horizontally or downward, and form dark reddish-brown tubers or chains of tubers.

It prefers dry conditions, but will tolerate moist soils, and often grows in wastelands and in crop fields.[3]

History

Cyperus rotundus L. subsp. rotundus, herbarium specimen isotype, 1839

C. rotundus was part of a set of starchy tuberous sedges that may have been eaten by Pliocene hominins. It was a staple of Aboriginal populations in Central Australia.[7]

Biomarkers and microscopic evidence of C. rotundus are present in human dental calculus found at the Al Khiday archaeological complex in central Sudan dating from before 6700 BC to the Meroitic pre-Islamic Kingdom of 300–400 AD. It is suggested that C. rotundus consumption may have contributed to the relatively low frequency of dental caries among the Meroitic population of Al Khiday because of its ability to inhibit Streptococcus mutans.[7]

C. rotundus was employed in ancient Egypt, Mycenean Greece, and elsewhere as an aromatic and to purify water. It was used by ancient Greek physicians Theophrastus, Pliny the Elder, and Dioscorides as both medicine and perfume.[7]

Uses

Cyperus rotundus inflorescence, Kerala
Flower stem showing triangular cross-section

C. rotundus has many beneficial uses. It is a staple carbohydrate in tropical regions for recent hunter-gatherers and is a famine food in some agrarian cultures.[8]

Folk medicine

In traditional Chinese medicine it is considered the primary qi-regulating herb.

The plant is mentioned in the ancient Indian ayurvedic medicine Charaka Samhita (circa 100 AD). Modern ayurvedic medicine uses the plant, known as musta or musta moola churna,[9][10] for treating fevers, digestive system disorders, dysmenorrhea and other maladies.

Arabs of the Levant traditionally use roasted tubers, while they are still hot, or hot ashes from burned tubers, to treat wounds, bruises, carbuncles, etc. Western and Islamic herbalists including Dioscorides, Galen, Serapion, Paulus Aegineta, Avicenna, Rhazes, and Charles Alston have described medical uses as stomachic, emmenagogue, and deobstruent, and in emollient plasters.[11][12]

The antibacterial properties of the tubers may have helped prevent tooth decay in people who lived in Sudan 2000 years ago. Less than 1% of that local population's teeth had cavities, abscesses, or other signs of tooth decay, though those people were probably farmers (early farmers' teeth typically had more tooth decay than those of hunter-gatherers because the high grain content in their diet created a hospitable environment for bacteria that flourish in the human mouth, excreting acids that eat away at the teeth).[13][14]

Modern uses and studies

Several pharmacologically active substances have been identified in C. rotundus: α-cyperone, β-selinene, cyperene, patchoulenone, sugeonol, kobusone, and isokobusone, that may scientifically explain the folk- and alternative-medicine uses.[medical citation needed] A sesquiterpene, rotundone, so called because it was originally extracted from the tuber of this plant, is responsible for the spicy aroma of black pepper and the peppery taste of certain Australian Shiraz wines.[15]

Anti-microbial, anti-malarial, anti-oxidant, and anti-diabetic compounds have been isolated and identified from C. rotundus.[7]

Extract from leaves and tubers of Cyperus rotundus L. increase the adventitious rooting of different species. These extracts contain a large amount of auxins and phenolic compounds that promote the rooting of cuttings and seedlings.[16]

Food

A Cyperus rotundus tuber, approximately 20 mm long

Despite the bitter taste of the tubers, they are edible and have nutritional value. Some part of the plant was eaten by humans at some point in ancient history.[17][unreliable source?] The plant is known to have a high amount of carbohydrates.[18] The plant is known to have been eaten in Africa in famine-stricken areas.[citation needed]

In addition, the tubers are an important nutritional source of minerals and trace elements for migrating birds such as cranes.[citation needed]

Sleeping mats

The well dried coco grass is used as mats for sleeping.

Invasive problems and eradication

A cross section through the flower stem

Cyperus rotundus is one of the most invasive weeds known, having spread out to a worldwide distribution in tropical and temperate regions. It has been called "the world's worst weed"[19] as it is known as a weed in over 90 countries, and infests over 50 crops worldwide.[citation needed] In the United States it occurs from Florida north to New York and Minnesota and west to California and most of the states in between. In the uplands of Cambodia, it is described as an important agricultural weed.[3]

Its existence in a field significantly reduces crop yield, both because it is a tough competitor for ground resources, and because it is allelopathic, the roots releasing substances harmful to other plants. Similarly, it also has a bad effect on ornamental gardening. The difficulty to control it is a result of its intensive system of underground tubers, and its resistance to most herbicides. It is also one of the few weeds that cannot be stopped with plastic mulch. See picture.

Cyperus rotundus emerging through plastic mulching

Weed pulling in gardens usually results in breakage of roots, leaving tubers in the ground from which new plants emerge quickly. Ploughing distributes the tubers in the field, worsening the infestation; even if the plough cuts up the tubers to pieces, new plants can still grow from them. In addition, the tubers can survive harsh conditions, further contributing to the difficulty to eradicate the plant. Hoeing in traditional agriculture of South East Asia does not remove the plant but leads to rapid regrowth.[3]

Most herbicides may kill the plant's leaves, but most have no effect on the root system and the tubers. Glyphosate will kill some of the tubers (along with most other plants) and repeated application can be successful. Halosulfuron-methyl[20] will control nut grass after repeated applications without damaging lawns.[21] The plant does not tolerate shading and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) slows its growth in pastures and mulch crops.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Cyperus rotundus". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2017-12-16.
  2. ^ "BSBI List 2007". Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-01-25. Retrieved 2014-10-17. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ a b c d MARTIN, Robert & POL Chanthy, 2009, Weeds of Upland Cambodia, ACIAR Monagraph 141, Canberra, [1]
  4. ^ κύπερος. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project.
  5. ^ rotundus. Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short. A Latin Dictionary on Perseus Project.
  6. ^ "The Linear B word ku-pa-ro". Palaeolexicon. Word study tool of ancient languages.
  7. ^ a b c d . doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0100808. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  8. ^ Bhandari, MM (1974). "Famine Foods in the Rajasthan Desert". Economic Botany. 28 (1): 78. doi:10.1080/09735070.2010.11886369.
  9. ^ Jagtap, A. G.; Shirke, S. S.; Phadke, A. S. (February 2004). "Effect of polyherbal formulation on experimental models of inflammatory bowel diseases". J Ethnopharmacol. 90 (2–3): 195–204. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2003.09.042. PMID 15013181.
  10. ^ Manish V. Patel; et al. (October 2010). "Effects of Ayurvedic treatment on forty-three patients of ulcerative colitis". Ayu. 31 (4): 478–481. doi:10.4103/0974-8520.82046. PMC 3202252. PMID 22048543.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  11. ^ Aegineta Paulus (translation and commentary by Francis Adams) (1847). The seven books of Paulus Aegineta: Translated from the Greek.
  12. ^ Charles Alston (1770). Lectures on the materia medica: containing the natural history of drugs.
  13. ^ Watson, Traci (July 16, 2014). "Ancient People Achieved Remarkably Clean Teeth With Noxious Weed". National Geographic. Retrieved 2014-07-19.
  14. ^ Feltman, Rachel (July 17, 2014). "Pesky weed may have helped prehistoric humans fight cavities, report says". Washington Post. p. A3. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help) from journal PLOS One
  15. ^ . doi:10.1021/jf800184t. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. ^ . doi:10.1590/S1516-05722013000500003. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. ^ "The Archaeology News Network: Tooth plaque provides unique insights into our prehistoric ancestors' diet". archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com.
  18. ^ "Tooth plaque provides unique insights into our prehistoric ancestors' diet". ScienceDaily.
  19. ^ Holm, LeRoy G.; Plucknett, Donald L..; et al. (1977). The World's worst weeds: Distribution and biology. Hawaii: University Press of Hawaii.
  20. ^ USDOE-Bonneville Power Administration, Halosulfron-methyl Herbicide Fact Sheet, March 2000
  21. ^ Nutgrass – a tough little nut to crack, January 2016[permanent dead link]

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cyperus rotundus.
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