Cyperus (Cyperus bracheilema )

Also known as: sedge

Cyperus is a perennial sedge with dark purplish to reddish brown flower spikes. It can compete with crops and native plants.

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How does this weed affect you?

Cyperus plants:

• can compete with horticultural crops
• are not eaten by livestock and can compete with pastures in damp areas
• can compete with native plants
• can become a weed in lawns and gardens.

What does it look like?

Cyperus is a perennial sedge up to 50 cm tall with long slender stolons that run along the ground. Plants form dense stands with up to 800 shoots per square metre.

Leaves are:

• bright green
• 5–45 cm long and 1–3 mm wide
• rough along the edges
• in clusters at the base of plant and clasp the stems with a sheath. 

Seedheads are:

• dark purplish or reddish brown (sometimes black)
• oval-shaped with three green leaf-like bracts at the base
• 6-10 mm wide
• consist of several densely clustered spikelets, each 3-5 mm long
• present in summer.

Seeds are:

• brown
• 0.6–0.7 mm wide
• narrowly oval and slightly flattened.

 Stems are:

• upright
• up to 45 cm long and about 1 mm in diameter
• triangular in cross-section and with the sides slightly curved outwards
• smooth and without any nodes.

Roots are:

• fibrous
• and attached to an extensive network of rhizomes.

Similar looking plants

Cyperus is similar to many other native and introduced sedges (Cyperus spp.) Cyperus bracheilema is the only species with stolons and dense, oval-shaped, dark purplish to reddish brown seedheads.

Scientific name change

This plant was previously named Cyperus teneristolon.

Where is it found?

This species of Cyperus has been found in a few locations in the Central Tablelands, Greater Sydney and Hunter regions. It was first recognised as naturalised in Australia in 2000, believed to be sourced from a refuse tip upstream of Yosemite Creek in the Minnehaha Reserve in the Blue Mountains.

Cyperus is native to eastern Africa, from Ethiopia to South Africa

What type of environment does it grow in?

In its native range it is mainly found in open moist grasslands or rocky outcrops. It has become a weed in crops, including wheat within its native range. It can grow in full sun or shade. It also can tolerate low nutrient sandy soils.

In NSW Cyperus bracheilema has been found growing:

• along creek edges
• in damp open areas
• rocky outcrops in highland area
• under eucalypts.

How does it spread?

By seed

The whole flower spike falls off the plant before releasing the seeds. Seeds can be spread by water.

By plant parts

Cyperus spreads via stolons and rhizomes. The Katoomba infestation is believed to have come from dumped garden waste at the Blue Mountains waste facility upstream.

References

Weed CRC  - Tanya McLean, John Hosking & Jeremy Bruhl. (2003) Weed Management Guide: Cyperus (Cyperus teneristolon) CRC Weed Management.

Friesen, L. F. (1986). Biology and control of weedy Cyperaceae species of the Kenyan highlands. Retrieved 24 March 2020 from https://mspace.lib.umanitoba.ca/bitstream/handle/1993/15380/Friesen_Biology_and.pdf?sequence=1

Hosking, J. R., Conn, B. J., & Lepschi, B. J. (2003). Plant species first recognised as naturalised for New South Wales over the period 2000–2001. Cunninghamia, 8(2), 175-187.

Identic Pty. Ltd. & Lucid (2016). Weed Fact Sheet for Cyperus teneristolon Mattf. & Kuk. Retrieved 17 January 2025 from: https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/media/Html/cyperus_teneristolon.htm

PlantNET (The NSW Plant Information Network System) (2020). Cyperus bracheilema (Steud.) Mattf. & Kuek.. NSW Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney. Retrieved 17 January 2025 from: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Cyperus~bracheilema

More information

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Control

Successful weed control relies on follow up after the initial efforts. This means looking for and killing regrowth or new seedlings. Using a combination of control methods is usually more successful.

Physical control

Small plants can be dug out.

Chemical control

Spot spraying

Spray actively growing plants. Ensure that all of the foliage is covered by the herbicide mix.

Herbicide options

See Using herbicides for more information.

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Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 10 mL per 1 L water
Comments: Spot spray. For general weed control in domestic areas (home gardens), commercial, industrial and public service areas, agricultural buildings and other farm situations.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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Biosecurity duty

The content provided here is for information purposes only and is taken from the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 and its subordinate legislation, and the Regional Strategic Weed Management Plans (published by each Local Land Services region in NSW). It describes the state and regional priorities for weeds in New South Wales, Australia.

Area	Duty
All of NSW	General Biosecurity Duty All pest plants are regulated with a general biosecurity duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise any biosecurity risk they may pose. Any person who deals with any plant, who knows (or ought to know) of any biosecurity risk, has a duty to ensure the risk is prevented, eliminated or minimised, so far as is reasonably practicable.

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Reviewed 2025