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12(1): Medicinal and poisonous plants 1

Cyperus brevifolius (Rottb.) Hassk.

This article should be read together with the article on the genus: Cyperus in the Handbook volume indicated above in this database.

Cat. Hort. Bog.: 24 (1844).

Kyllinga brevifolia Rottb. (1773).

Indonesia: jukut pendul (Sundanese), rumput sadanan (Javanese), rumput kapas (Sumatra). Malaysia: kanching bayu jantan, rumput sekepet burit, rumput teki (Peninsular). Philippines: boto-botonisan (Tagalog), kadkadot (Igorot), pugo-pugo (Central Bisaya). Thailand: yaa kok dok khaao (Bangkok), yaa hua mong (Surat Thani). Vietnam: b[aj]c d[aaf]u l[as] ng[aws]n.

Throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world; very common throughout Malesia.

The pounded rhizome is used as poultice for sores; it has anti-inflammatory properties. A decoction of the whole plant is used as diuretic and against malaria. Leaves are taken internally against diarrhoea. It is sometimes used as a fodder.

A perennial herb with rhizome creeping horizontally under or close to the ground surface, stem 3-40(-50) cm long; leaves 1-3 mm wide, canaliculate, scabrid on the margins in the upper part, grass-green; inflorescence usually consisting of a single terminal head, involucral bracts (2-)3-4(-6), up to 6(-20) cm long, spikelets closely packed, 1(-2)-flowered; stamens 1-2(-3), stigmas 2; fruit biconvex, laterally compressed, obovoid or ellipsoid, yellowish-brown. Cyperus brevifolius is extremely variable. It occurs up to 1500(-1900) m altitude in grasslands, along roads, in forest clearings and on river banks.

[202] 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.
[332] de Padua, L.S., Lugod, G.C. & Pancho, J.V., 1977-1983. Handbook on Philippine medicinal plants. 4 volumes. Documentation and Information Section, Office of the Director of Research, University of the Philippines at Los Baños, the Philippines.
[580] 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.
[722] 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.
[760] Komai, K. & Tang, C.S., 1989. Chemical constituents and inhibitory activities of essential oils from Cyperus brevifolius and Cyperus kyllingia. Journal of Chemical Ecology 15(8): 2171-2176.
[1178] Quisumbing, E., 1978. Medicinal plants of the Philippines. Katha Publishing Co., Quezon City, the Philippines. 1262 pp.

Nguyen Khac Khoi

Nguyen Khac Khoi, 1999. Cyperus brevifolius (Rottb.) Hassk.. In: de Padua, L.S., Bunyapraphatsara, N. and Lemmens, R.H.M.J. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 12(1): Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record: prota4u.org/prosea