Cyperus scariosus or Cyperus rotundus,an old famous Sedge from ancient Egypt and China.

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Botanical Description:Cyperus Origin Identification.

Cyperus scariosus Extract INCI Name Cyperus Rotundus Extract CAS 85085-54-7 EINECS ELINCS No 285-381-3 Cyperus root extract Cyperus scariosus ethanol extract Cyperus scariosus aqueous-methanolic extract photo picture image A common weed in Suriname; herbaceous perennial with purple - brown flowers.The leaves are dark green, grass-like, with a prominent vein on the underside.

 It has red-brown spikelets with up to 40 individual flowers.Triangular stems bear tufts of leaves atop; strong clumps of many stems are formed under good conditions.
 The dried tuberous roots are collected, dried and used in traditional medicine.

 In India, nutgrass is used in hair - and skin care products.It stimulates sebaceous glands near hair roots. Also interesting is that the oil, an amber viscous liquid, extracted from this plant is used in perfumery.

 A perennial from rhizomes and tubers that may reach 2 1/2 feet in height. The stems are 3-sided and triangular in cross section and the leaves are yellow to green in color with a distinct ridge. Found throughout the southeastern United States as a common weed of agronomic and horticultural crops, nurseries, turfgrass, and landscapes.

 Seedling: Seedlings rarely occur. Most plants from rhizomes and/or tubers. Leaves do not have ligules or auricles and have a distinct ridge along the midvein, but are nevertheless often mistaken for grasses.

 Stems: Erect, unbranched, and 3-sided and triangular in cross section. Stems are usually solitary and produce terminal spikelets

 Leaves: Dark green in color and have a distinctly shiny appearance. Leaves are 5 to 8 mm wide and have a distinct ridge along the midvein. Leaves are produced in groups of 3 from the base of the plant. Leaves are without hairs (glaucus) and no auricles or ligules are present. The leaves of purple nutsedge taper abruptly to a sharp point, unlike the gradual taper of yellow nutsedge leaves.
 Cyperus scariosus Extract INCI Name Cyperus Rotundus Extract CAS 85085-54-7 EINECS ELINCS No 285-381-3 Cyperus root extract Cyperus scariosus ethanol extract Cyperus scariosus aqueous-methanolic extract photo picture image

 Roots: Rhizomes and tubers occur on the same plants. Tubers are oblong, ridged, initially white in color, eventually turning brown or black, and are bitter to the taste. Purple nutsedge produces chains of tubers that develop along the entire rhizome.

 Flowers: Spikelets occur at the ends of the solitary stems in a cluster where the flower stalks arise from a common point (umbel-like). Individual spikelets are reddish-purple to reddish-brown in color.

 Description of Cyperus:

 Cyperus is known in China as xiangfu or xiangfuzi. The term xiang means fragrant, and usually is applied to strong and pleasant fragrances, such as those occurring in culinary spices, perfumes, and incenses. The character fu is the same as that used to describe aconite (fuzi); the term was likely used because the appearance of the cyperus rhizomes, the part used, reminded herbalists of the aconite roots. In much of the rest of the world, cyperus is referred to as nutgrass or purple nutsedge (sedge is a term indicating blade-like leaves and rush-like stems and is often applied to the plants of the entire Cyperaceae family); the nut is the rhizome (or tuber), which forms rounded or elongated balls along a tangle of thin roots (see artists drawing of three species of Cyperus below, showing roots and rhizomes; C. rotundus is the one pictured on the right).

 The plant is considered an invasive weed; it has been called "the world's worst weed." The plant requires sun and moist conditions, though it grows in sandy soil (one of the old Chinese names for it was shacao, meaning sand weed), as well as in loamy moist fields and in tropical rainforests. It has a vast growing range, crossing the globe and particularly noted in the Pacific Islands (where its leaves are used for weaving) as well as along coastal regions. It is especially prevalent in southern India, where its essential oil is used in perfumery. As an invasive weed, it is considered troublesome in 92 countries and adversely affects more than 50 crops, including sugar cane, corn, cotton, rice, and many vegetables. Cyperus grows rapidly and fills the soil with its tangle of roots and rhizomes; this one species (C. rotundus) can produce up to 40,000 kg/hectare of underground plant material. In addition to taking up nutrients and physical space, the plant produces sesquiterpenes, accumulating in the rhizomes, which inhibit the growth of other plants.

 For medicinal use in China, the underground portion is collected in autumn, cooked for a short time in boiling water or steamed, with the fibrous roots burnt off; the rhizomes are sliced in half down the center, and dried in the sun.
 Cyperus scariosus Extract INCI Name Cyperus Rotundus Extract CAS 85085-54-7 EINECS ELINCS No 285-381-3 Cyperus root extract Cyperus scariosus ethanol extract Cyperus scariosus aqueous-methanolic extract photo picture image

 Origin Identification:

 The rhizome of Cyperus rotundus L., Cyperus hexastachyos, or Pycreus rotundus, a perennial herb, of the family Cyperaceae. Grown in tropical areas and along roadsides, sandy fields and cultivated ground in such countries as the Bahamas, Java, Samoa, China,Egypt, Sudan, Turkey, Iran, Indiana, France and Venezuela.

 The plant grows to about 0.6 m by 1 m. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). The plant cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist or wet soil.

 In China, it is produced in most areas but mainly in the provinces Guangdong, Henan, Zhejiang, Shandong, etc. Harvested in autumn, the hair and tassels are first removed from the rhizome, then the rhizome is dried in the sun for use when raw or after being fried with vinegar. Grind the rhizome into pieces for use.
 Also called Nut Grass Rhizome.

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citations1.Cyperus scariosus or Cyperus rotundus,an old famous Sedge from ancient Egypt and China.

last edit date:30th,June.2009.