Family: Cyperaceae

Synonyms:  Chlorocyperus aureus Pall., Cyperus aureus Ten., Cyperus nervosus Bert., Cyperus tuberosus Pursch, Cyperus odoratus Common names: Yellow nutsedge, earth almond, coquito, chufa común, souchet comestible, amande de terre, tiririça-amarela, tiririça mansa.

Perennial sedge with triangular stem, up to 60 cm tall, with leaves light green arising from the base terminal inflorescence of yellowish spikelet.

Rhizomes soft with pale scales with chains of basal bulbs and tubers.

It is a plant very similar to Cyperus rotundus, but its tubers are normally of gray colour. Tubers are round and taste good.

It is a plant very common in arable crops in tropical and sub-tropical areas, but it grows better in soft hot climate conditions. Cyperus esculentus tolerates better drought than C. rotundus, and for this reason it thrives easily in sandy textured soils.

The plant reproduces itself mainly via tubers, but it can also be reproduced by its seeds.

The weed is very common in areas repeatedly treated with herbicides.

Cyperus esculentus, as in the case of C. rotundus,is very susceptible to shade.

Cyperus esculentus is resistant to many s-triazine and phenyl urea soil-acting herbicides.

Therefore the best method to control the weed is to rotate infested areas with crops quickly producing extensive canopies.

Some herbicides are effective against the weed, such as post-emergence treatments of bromacil and glyphosate. It is to some extent susceptible to pre-emergence applications of some amides, such as propachlor and metolachlor.

It is mainly found in many hot climatic countries, but it prevails in conditions cooler and drier than those required for Cyperus rotundus' growth. It is for this reason much more important weed in countries of East and Southern Africa, and of South America, where air temperatures tend to be lower than in other tropical and su-tropical regions.

Countries: Cameroon, Chile, Congo (Democratic), Nepal, Rwanda

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