Characteristics Yellow nutsedge Purple nutsedge 1. Scientific name Cyperus esculentus L. Cyperus rotundus L. 2. Common names Chufa, coquillo, yellow nutgrass, Northern nutgrass, nutsedge, earth almond, groundnut, tigernut, zulu nut, rush nut, duck potato, edible rush Nutgrass, cocograss, mustaka, musta, motha, coquillo 3. Life cycle Perennial Perennial 4. Growth habit Graminoid Graminoid 5. Basal leaves Three ranked Three ranked 6. Leaves Flat, slightly corrugated, usually as long or longer than flowering stem Flat, slightly corrugated, usually shorter than flowering stem 7. Leaf color Light green Dark green 8. Leaf width 4-9 mm 3-6 mm 9. Leaf tip Abruptly tapered, very pointed, pinched together Long attenuated, keeled 10. Flowering stem Triangular Triangular 11. Stem height Up to 0.9 m Up to 0.4 m 12. Flower color Yellowish-brown, gold-brown or straw color Purple to reddish brown 13. Flower size 5-30 mm long, about 2-3 mm wide 8-25 mm long, about 1-2 mm wide 14. Tubers Round, unevenly globe-shaped, 0.3-1.5 cm in diameter, brown to black, hard, hairless, smooth (scales shed with maturity), with buds only at apex, formed at ends of whitish rhizomes Irregularly shaped, oblong to nearly round, up to 2.5 cm long, usually less than 1 cm thick, covered with persistent reddish or reddish brown papery scales or hairs, with buds scattered on the surface, tubers in chains, wiry rhizomes 15. Tuber taste sweet, almond-like bitter 16. Rhizomes Terminate with a tuber, break easily; not connected among plants Develop chains of up to 15 tubers at intervals of 5-25 cm along their length; interconnected among plants 17. Uses of plants Wetland restoration, mitigation, and erosion control Carminative and energy and hormone regulating herb in traditional Chinese medicine; landscaping in China 18. Uses of tubers Edible, earthy-almond flavor Medicinally in China and India; tuber extracts may reduce nausea and act as a muscle relaxant 19. Reproduces Primarily by tubers Primarily by tubers 20. Climate Temperate to tropical Tropical to warm 21. Habitat Disturbed soils, wide range of soil types; margins of lakes, rivers, streams, and marshes; riparian Disturbed soils, moist fertile soil, full sun 22. U.S. distribution All states, excluding Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska, and including Hawaii and Puerto Rico All Southern states, most Southwestern states, a few other northern states, plus Hawaii and Puerto Rico