Pankaj Oudhia
Society for Parthenium Management (SOPAM)
28-A, Geeta Nagar, Raipur - 492001 India
pankajoudhia@gmail.com
www.pankajoudhia.com
Copyright © 2004. All Rights Reserved. Quotation from this document should cite and acknowledge the contributor.
Scientific name: Cyperus rotundus L. syn. C. hexastachyos
Rottb.
Family: Cyperaceae
English Name: Nut Grass
Common Indian Names
Gujarati: Motha
Hindi: Motha, Mutha
Canarese: Koranarigadde, Tungegaddo, Tungehullu
Marathi: Bimbal, Nagarmotha, Motha
Sanskrit: Bhadramusta, Granthi, Kachhda, Mustako, Sugandhi-granthila
Tamil: Korai
Telugu: Tungagaddi
Botanical Description: A perennial, stolaniferous, rhizomatus, halophytic sedge. Rhizome many, slender; Tuber-white, succulent when young, hard and black when mature; stem-leafy at base arising from a tuber. Culm-dark green, glabrous. Leaf dark green above, with reddish brown sheaths, clustered at the base of stem. Inflorescence 3-9 spreading rays bearing tassels of few, large spikelets; spikelet 20-40 flowered, red brown to almost black. Fruit oblong ovate.
Useful Parts: Tubers
Medicinal Uses: According to the Ayurveda, root is pungent, acrid, cooling, astringent, appetizer, stomachic, anthelmintic and useful in treatment of leprosy, thirst, fever, blood diseases, biliousness, dysentery, pruritis, pain, vomiting, epilepsy, opthalmia, erysipelas etc. According to the Unani system of medicine, the root is diuretic, emmenagogue, diaphoretic, anthelmintic, vulnerary and useful for ulcers and sores, fevers, dyspepsia, urinary concretions etc.
Other Uses
Useful in checking soil erosion.
The tuber yields an essential oil (0.5-0.9%), which is used in perfumery and
incense.
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