Gen info
- Cyperus difformis is a species of sedge, native to southern Europe, most of Africa and Asia, and Australia, and is naturalized in other areas of the world. (2)
- It is one of approximately 700 species of sedges in the genus Cyperus.
- C. difformis is listed in Holm's list of the world's worst weeds; a problem especially in rice, sugarcane. tea and maize. (5)

Botany
• Cyperus difformis is an annual herb with one to many thin, soft erect stems reaching over 30 centimeters in maximum height. There are usually a few long, wispy leaves around the base of the plant. Inflorescence is a rounded bundle one to three centimeters wide, containing up to 120 spikelets.  each long and partially or entirely covered in up to 30 bracted flowers. Flowers are light brown with areas darker brown and sometimes a yellowish or purplish tint. (2)

• An annual weed with fibrous and reddish roots; up to 100 cm tall. Stem: tufted, smooth and erect, triangular and 2−3 mm thick; slightly winged. Leaf: three to 4 basal leaves; sheaths united at base, lower ones straw-colored to brown; blades flaccid and linear, 15−45 cm long. Inflorescence: umbellate and subtended by two leaf-like bracts; rays 1−5 cm long, some with long peduncle, some without stalk; spikelets numerous, crowded in masses about 2−5 mm long, each spikelet composed of 10−30 flowers. Fruit: brownish nut, elliptical to slightly obovate, about 0.6 mm long and lightly pitted. (4)

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines.
- Native range is Tropical & Subtropical Old World.
- A plant of aquatic and moist habitats.
- Found in grasslands on mountain slopes, in shallow water, water margins, lake margins, riversides, swamps, wet places in grasslands, along trains. and in rice paddy fields. (5)
- A weed of rice fields.

Constituents
- Phytochemical study of n-hexane, chloroform, and ethanol crude extracts of rhizome with roots, flowers, and leaves indicated 14 compounds, highest (10) in flowers, followed by six in chloroform and five in ethanol extracts of plant parts.
- Chloroform extract of rhizome (with roots) showed the presence of two compounds, i.e., 1,2,4,5- tetramethylbenzene and 4-methylheptanamide. Leaves extract yielded of four compounds, i.e., 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, 4-Ethyl-1,2-dimethylbenzene, Benzene, 1,3-dimethyl-5-(1- methylethyl)- and 9-Octadecenamide, N, N-dimethyl-. (3)
- Crude extract of leaves yielded glycosides lignins, quinones, tannins, and terpenoid. (3)

Properties
Studies have suggested antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer properties.

Agricultural concern
- Produces large quantities of seed in 30-day cycles. A dominant weed in direct-seeded rice and can occur in high plant densities, forming dense mats of vegetation in young crops with potential rice yield losses of 12-50%. Hand and mechanical weeding can provide effective control. Chemical control with Bentazon, butachlor, 2,4-D, MCPA, pretilachlor, propanil, and thiobencarb reported to be effective. (4)

Uses
Folkloric
- No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.

Studies
• Antibacterial / Antioxidant / Anticancer: Study evaluated powdered material of various plant parts viz., rhizome with roots, flowers, and leaves. Antibacterial activity was evaluated against Salmonella enterica, E. coli and S. aureus by well diffusion method. Notable inhibition was exhibited by chloroform extract, with leaves showing inhibition zone of 16.17 mm, comparable with gentamicin 18 mm. Antioxidant activity bt DPPH radical scavenging assay  was higher in n-hexane and chloroform extracts, especially leaves at 54.6 and 43.45 compared to ethanol extracts, with activity increasing with concentration. Antiproliferative activity by SRB proliferative assay showed good activity of crude extract of plant parts against A2780 and HCT116 cancer cells. (see constituents above ) (3)

Availability
Wild-crafted.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Cyperus difformis / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(2)
Cyperus difformis / Wikipedia
(3)
Assessment of ethnopharmacological potential of Cyperus difformis L. in terms of its’ phytochemistry, antibacterial, antioxidant and anticancer attributes / Shahzada Z Ahmad, Zaheer ud din Khan, Safdar A Mirza / Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca, 2022; 50(4): Article No 12918 /
DOI: 10.15835/nbha50412918
(4)
Cyperus difformis L. / J L A Catindig, R T Lubigan, D Johnson / Rice Knowledge Bank
(5)
Cyperus difformis (small-flowered nutsedge) / Common names  / CABI Compendium

DOI: It is not uncommon for links on studies/sources to change. Copying and pasting the information on the search window or using the DOI (if available) will often redirect to the new link page. (Citing and Using a (DOI) Digital Object Identifier)