Cyperus malaccensis (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Cyperus malaccensis Lamk

Protologue: Tabl. encycl. 1(1): 146 (1791).

• Indonesia: darengdeng (Sundanese), kumbu (Sumatra), rumput kuluwing (Sulawesi)
• Malaysia: menderong darat (Peninsular)
• Philippines: balangot (general), baga-as (Panay Bisaya), tikog (Manobo)
• Thailand: yaa saam liam (Bangkok)
• Vietnam: lác, cói.

From Irak through India to southern China, northern Australia and Polynesia; throughout Malesia.

The rhizomes are used for post-partum treatment and against oedemas in Vietnam; they are considered to be diuretic. The stems are commonly used for making ropes, baskets, mats, hats and slippers.

• A perennial herb with stout stolons clothed with dark brown scales hardening into a woody rhizome, stem 60-175 cm long.
• Leaves 5-10(-18) mm wide, scabrid at the top.
• Inflorescence compound or subdecompound, involucral bracts 3-4, up to 30 cm long, primary rays 3-6(-10), very unequal.
• Spikelets spicately arranged, 16-20(-40)-flowered; stamens 3, stigmas 3; fruit trigonous, slightly compressed dorsally, narrowly oblong, dark brown to black.

C. malaccensis grows in moist localities, usually within the influence of salt or brackish water; it is an abundant colonizer on mud flats in estuaries and on sandy shores.

• Brown, W.H., 1951-1957. Useful plants of the Philippines. Reprint of the 1941-1943 edition. 3 volumes. Technical Bulletin 10. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Bureau of Printing, Manila, the Philippines. Vol. 1 (1951) 590 pp., Vol. 2 (1954) 513 pp., Vol. 3 (1957) 507 pp.
• Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. Revised reprint. 2 volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Co operatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol. 1 (A-H) pp. 1-1240. Vol. 2 (I- Z) pp. 1241-2444.
• Heyne, K., 1950. De nuttige planten van Indonesië [The useful plants of Indonesia]. 3rd Edition. 2 volumes. W. van Hoeve, 's Gravenhage, the Netherlands/Bandung, Indonesia. 1660 + CCXLI pp.
• Kern, J.H., 1974. Cyperaceae. In: van Steenis, C.G.G.J. (General editor): Flora Malesiana. Series 1, Vol. 7. Noordhoff, Leyden, the Netherlands. pp. 435-753.
• Nguyen Van Duong, 1993. Medicinal plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Mekong Printing, Santa Ana, California, United States. 528 pp.

• Cyperus (Medicinal plants)

• Nguyen Khac Khoi

• See also under Cyperus (PROSEA) for the fibre use.