Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-vsgnj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-18T01:29:45.450Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Yellow Nutsedge Cyperus esculentus L.—Snack Food of the Gods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Michael S. Defelice
Michael S. Defelice*
Affiliation:
ThunderSnow Interactive, 5720 Wentworth Drive, Johnston, IA 50131. E-mail: defelicems@thundersnow.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

No more the grassy brook reflects the day,

But, chocked with sedges, works its weedy way;

The Deserted Village, Oliver Goldsmith, 1770.

Yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) is a perennial herbaceous sedge native to the eastern Mediterranean (Mabberley 1997; Tutin et al. 1980; Zeven and Zhukovsky 1975). Cultivated in ancient Egypt for its tasty and oil-rich tubers, the wild type has spread as a weed to all the continents of the world and adapted to climates from tropical to subarctic. Adaptability to many agricultural habitats and the great reproductive capacity of yellow nutsedge have propelled it to rank as the 16th worst weed in the world (Holm et al. 1991a, 1991b; Negbi 1992).

Type
Intriguing World of Weeds
Information
Weed Technology , Volume 16 , Issue 4 , December 2002 , pp. 901 - 907
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

Abad, P., Pascual, B., Maroto, J. V., Lopez-Galarza, S., Vicente, M. J., and Alagarda, J. 1998. RAPD analysis of cultivated and wild yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L). Weed Sci. 46: 318–321.Google Scholar
Allan, M. 1978. Weeds: The Unbidden Guests in Our Gardens. New York: Viking Press. 191 p.Google Scholar
Barkley, T. M. ed. 1986. Flora of the Great Plains. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas. 1392 p.Google Scholar
Barminas, J. T., Maina, H. M., Tahir, S., Kubmarawa, D., and Tsware, K. 2001. A preliminary investigation into the biofuel characteristics of tigernut (Cyperus esculentus) oil. Bioresour. Technol. 79: 87–89.Google Scholar
Bartlett, J. R. 1889. Dictionary of Americanisms: A Glossary of Words and Phrases Usually Regarded as Peculiar to the United States. 4th ed. Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Co. 813 p.Google Scholar
Bendixen, L. E. and Nandihalli, U. B. 1987. Worldwide distribution of purple and yellow nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus and C. esculentus). Weed Technol. 1: 61–65.Google Scholar
Bielinski, M. S., Morales-Payan, J. P., Stall, W. M., Bewick, T. A., and Shilling, D. G. 1997. Effect of shading on the growth of nutsedges (Cyperus spp). Weed Sci. 45: 670–673.Google Scholar
Britton, N. L. and Brown, A. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. 2nd ed, Volume 1. New York: Charles Scribners. 680 p.Google Scholar
Buker, R. S., Olson, S. M., Stall, W. M., and Shilling, D. G. 1998. Watermelon yield as effected by competition from varying yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) populations. Proc. South. Weed Sci. Soc. 51: 95–96.Google Scholar
Cantalejo, M. J. 1996. Development of new products from earth-almond. Fruit Proc. 3: 87–91.Google Scholar
Darby, W. J., Ghalioungui, P., and Grivetti, L. 1977. Food: The Gift of Osiris. Volume 2. London: Academic Press. 877 p.Google Scholar
De Vreis, F. T. 1991. Chufa (Cyperus esculentus, Cyperaceae): a weedy cultivar or a cultivated weed? Econ. Bot. 45: 27–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drost, D. C. and Doll, J. D. 1980. The allelopathic effect of yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) on corn (Zea mays) and soybeans (Glycine max). Weed Sci. 28: 229–233.Google Scholar
Duke, J. A. 1992. Handbook of Edible Weeds. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. 246 p.Google Scholar
Gerard, J. 1633. The Herbal or General History of Plants (revised and enlarged by Thomas Johnson). New York: Dover Publications. (Reprint 1975.) 1676 p.Google Scholar
Gleason, H. A. and Cronquist, A. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. 2nd ed. New York: New York Botanical Garden. 910 p.Google Scholar
Gledhill, D. 1989. The Names of Plants. 2nd ed. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. 202 p.Google Scholar
Goldsmith, O. 1770. The Deserted Village. New York: Barse and Hopkins. (Reprint 192?) 25 p.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gray, A. 1867. Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States. 5th ed. New York: Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor & Co. 695 p.Google Scholar
Gray, A. 1889. Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States. 6th ed. New York: American Book Company. 760 p.Google Scholar
Hohman, W. L., Woolington, D. W., and Devries, J. H. 1990. Food habits of wintering canvasbacks in Louisiana. Can. J. Zool. 68: 2605–2609.Google Scholar
Hollowell, J. E. and Shew, B. B. 1979. Yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) as a host of Sclerotinia minor . Plant Dis. 85: 562.Google Scholar
Holm, L. G., Pancho, J. V., Herberger, J. P., and Plucknett, D. L. 1991a. A Geographical Atlas of World Weeds. Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishing. 391 p.Google Scholar
Holm, L. G., Plucknett, D. L., Pancho, J. V., and Herberger, J. P. 1991b. The World's Worst Weeds: Distribution and Biology. Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishing. 609 p.Google Scholar
Jansen, L. L. 1971. Morphology and photoperiodic responses of yellow nutsedge. Weed Sci. 19: 210–219.Google Scholar
Johnson, W. C. and Mullinix, B. G. 1999. Cyperus esculentus interference in Cucumis sativus . Weed Sci. 47: 327–331.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jordan-Molero, J. E. and Stoller, E. W. 1978. Seasonal development of yellow and purple nutsedges (Cyperus esculentus and C. rotundus) in Illinois. Weed Sci. 26: 614–618.Google Scholar
Keeley, P. E. and Thullen, R. J. 1975. Influences of yellow nutsedge competition on furrow-irrigated cotton. Weed Sci. 23: 171–175.Google Scholar
Lapham, J. 1985. Unrestricted growth, tuber formation and spread of Cyperus esculentus L. in Zimbabwe. Weed Res. 25: 323–329.Google Scholar
Lapham, J. and Drennan, D. S. H. 1990. The fate of yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) seed and seedlings in soil. Weed Sci. 38: 125–128.Google Scholar
Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The Plant-Book: A Portable Dictionary of the Vascular Plants. 2nd ed. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. 858 p.Google Scholar
McCarty, L. B., Everest, J. W., Hall, D. W., Murphy, T. R., and Yelverton, F. 2001. Color Atlas of Turfgrass Weeds. Chelsea, MI: Ann Arbor Press. 269 p.Google Scholar
Mulligan, G. A. and Junkins, B. E. 1976. The Biology of Canadian Weeds. 17. Cyperus esculentus L. Can. J. Plant Sci. 56: 339–350.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Negbi, M. 1992. A sweetmeat plant, a perfume plant and their weed relatives: a chapter in the history of Cyperus esculentus L. and C. rotundus L. Econ. Bot. 46: 64–71.Google Scholar
Okoli, C. A. N., Shilling, D. G., Smith, R. L., and Bewick, T. A. 1997. Genetic diversity in purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L.) and yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L). Biol. Control 8: 111–118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pascual, B. J., Maroto, V., Lopez-Galarza, S., Sanbautista, A., and Alagarda, J. 2000. Chufa (Cyperus esculentus L. Var. Sativus Boeck.): an unconventional crop. Studies related to applications and cultivation. Econ. Bot. 54: 439–448.Google Scholar
Patterson, M. G., Buchanan, G. A., Street, J. E., and Crowley, R. H. 1980. Yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) competition with cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). Weed Sci. 28: 327–329.Google Scholar
Raju, R. A. 1998. Prevalent Weed Flora in Peninsular India. New Delhi: Allied Publishers. 271 p.Google Scholar
Rashmi, R. 1993. Pharmacognostic studies of Cyperus esculentus tuber. J. Plant Anat. Morphol. 6: 56–62.Google Scholar
Royer, F. and Dickinson, R. 1999. Weeds of the Northern U. S. and Canada. Renton, WA: Lone Pine Publishing. 434 p.Google Scholar
Schippers, P., Ter Borg, S. J., and Bos, J. J. 1995. A revision of the infraspecific taxonomy of Cyperus esculentus (yellow nutsedge) with an experimentally evaluated character set. Syst. Bot. 20: 461–481.Google Scholar
Schroeder, J., Thomas, S. H., and Murray, L. 1993. Yellow and purple nutsedge and chili peppers host southern root-knot nematode. Weed Sci. 41: 150–156.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spencer, E. R. 1957. All About Weeds. New York: Dover Publications. 333 p.Google Scholar
Stephens, J. M. 1994. Chufa Cyperus esculentus L. var. sativus Boeck. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida, Florida Cooperative Extension Service Fact Sheet HS-583. 2 p.Google Scholar
Stevens, O. A. 1932. The number and weight of seeds produced by weeds. Am. J. Bot. 19: 784–794.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stoller, E. W. 1981. Yellow nutsedge: a menace in the corn belt. U.S. Dep. Agric. Tech. Bull. 1642: 1–16.Google Scholar
Stoller, E. W. and Sweet, R. D. 1987. Biology and life cycle of purple and yellow nutsedges (Cyperus rotundus and C. esculentus). Weed Technol. 1: 66–73.Google Scholar
Stoller, E. W., Wax, L. M., and Slife, F. W. 1979. Yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) competition and control in corn (Zea mays). Weed Sci. 27: 32–37.Google Scholar
Temple, V. J. and Ojobe, T. O. 1989. Chemical analysis of tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus). J. Sci. Food Agric. 40: 261–263.Google Scholar
Thullen, R. J. and Keeley, P. E. 1979. Seed production and germination in Cyperus esculentus and C. rotundus . Weed Sci. 27: 502–505.Google Scholar
Tumbleson, M. E. and Kommendahl, T. 1961. Reproductive potential of Cyperus esculentus by tubers. Weeds 9: 646–653.Google Scholar
Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M., and Webb, D. A. eds. 1980. Flora Europaea, Volume 5. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. 452 p.Google Scholar
Umerie, S. C. and Uka, A. S. 1998. Brew wort from Cyperus esculentus tubers. Bioresour. Technol. 66: 83–85.Google Scholar
Uva, R. H., Neal, J. C., and DiTomaso, J. M. 1997. Weeds of the Northeast. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. 397 p.Google Scholar
Van Zeist, W. 1983. Fruits in foundation deposits of two temples. J. Arch. Sci. 10: 351–354.Google Scholar
Watt, J. M. and Breyer-Brandwijk, M. G. 1962. The Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of Southern and Eastern Africa. 2nd ed. London: E & S Livingstone. 1457 p.Google Scholar
Webster, T. M. 2000. Weed survey—southern states: grass crops subsection. Proc. South. Weed Sci. Soc. 53: 247–274.Google Scholar
Webster, T. M. 2001. Weed survey—southern states: broadleaf crops subsection. Proc. South. Weed Sci. Soc. 54: 244–259.Google Scholar
Weed Science Society of America. 1989. Composite List of Weeds. Revised. Champaign, IL: Weed Science Society of America. 112 p.Google Scholar
Wilcut, J. W., York, A. C., and Wehtje, G. R. 1994. The control and interaction of weeds in peanut (Arachis hypogaea). Rev. Weed Sci. 6: 177–205.Google Scholar
Wilen, C. A., Holt, J. S., and McCloskey, W. B. 1996. Predicting yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) emergence using degree–day models. Weed Sci. 44: 821–829.Google Scholar
Wills, G. D. 1985. Description of purple and yellow nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus and C. esculentus). Weed Technol. 1: 2–9.Google Scholar
Wright, R. J., Van Duyn, J. W., and Bradley, J. R. Jr. 1982. Host range of southern corn billbug (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) adults and larvae. Environ. Entomol. 11: 954–957.Google Scholar
Yatskievych, G. 1999. Steyermarks's Flora of Missouri, Volume 1. St. Louis, MO: Missouri Botanical Garden Press. 991 p.Google Scholar
Zeven, A. C. and Zhukovsky, P. M. 1975. Dictionary of Cultivated Plants and Their Centres of Diversity. Wageningen, Netherlands: Centre for Agricultural Publishing and Documentation. 219 p.Google Scholar
Zhang, H. Y., Hanna, M. A., Ali, Y., and Nan, L. 1996. Yellow nut-sedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) tuber oil as a fuel. Ind. Crops Prod. 5: 177–181.Google Scholar
Zohary, D. and Hopf, M. 1988. Domestication of Plants in the Old World. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 249 p.Google Scholar
Zomlefer, W. B. 1994. Guide to Flowering Plant Families. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press. 430 p.Google Scholar