SimplePlant

Cyperaceae

Yellow nutsedge

Cyperus esculentus L.

Family
Cyperaceae
Genus
Cyperus

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Yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus)
Photo: Wilcox, Mike, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Common names

By language (22)
Akan
Atadwe
Arabic
حب الزلم, حب العزيز
Asturian
Chufa, Chufera
Catalan
Amande de Terre, Esculentus, Xufera, Xufes, Xufla, Xuflaire
Chinese
油莎草, 油莎豆, 黃土香, 黄香附, 地下核桃, 虎坚果, 铁荸荠
Czech
Šáchor jedlý
Dutch
Knolcyperus, Aardamandel, Tijgernoot
English
Yellow nutsedge, Earth almond, Earth nut, Edible cyperus, Tiger nut, Almendra de tierra, Chufa, Coquillo amarillo
French
Amande de Terre, Souchet comestible, Choufa, Noix tigrée
German
Erdmandel, Amande de Terre, Chufa, Chufanuss, Erdmandelgras, Tigernuss
Hebrew
אגוז נמר
Italian
Zigolo dolce, Chufa
Latvian
Čufa
Lithuanian
Amande de Terre
Polish
Cibora jadalna, Czufa, Migdał ziemny
Portuguese
Chufa
Russian
Сыть съедобная, Чуфа, Земляной миндаль
Slovenian
Užitna ostrica, Sladki lešnik, Zemeljski mandelj
Spanish
Chufa
Swedish
Amande de Terre
Thai
แห้วไทย
Ukrainian
Земляний горіх, Мигдаль земляний, Чува, Чуфа

Synonyms

  • Chlorocyperus aureus (K.Richt.) Palla ex Kneuck.
  • Chlorocyperus phymatodes (Muhl.) Palla
  • Cyperus aureus Ten.
  • Cyperus aureus subsp. esculentus (L.) Nyman
  • Cyperus bahiensis Steud.
  • Cyperus buchananii Boeckeler
  • Cyperus bulamensis Steud.
  • Cyperus chrysostachys Boeckeler
  • Cyperus damiettensis A.Dietr.
  • Cyperus esculentus f. angustispicatus (Britton) Fernald
  • Cyperus esculentus f. esculentus
  • Cyperus esculentus f. evolutus C.B.Clarke
  • Cyperus esculentus f. macrostachyus (Boeckeler) Fernald
  • Cyperus esculentus f. princeps C.B.Clarke
  • Cyperus esculentus prol. aureus (K.Richt.) P.Fourn.
  • Cyperus esculentus prol. sativus (Boeckeler) P.Fourn.
  • Cyperus esculentus subsp. aureus K.Richt.
  • Cyperus esculentus var. angustispicatus Britton
  • Cyperus esculentus var. cyclolepis Boeckeler ex Kük.
  • Cyperus esculentus var. esculentus
  • Cyperus esculentus var. heermannii (Buckley) Britton
  • Cyperus esculentus var. helodes (Schrad. ex Nees) C.B.Clarke
  • Cyperus esculentus var. hermannii Britton
  • Cyperus esculentus var. leptostachyus Boeckeler
  • Cyperus esculentus var. lutescens (Torr. & Hook.) Kük. ex Osten
  • Cyperus esculentus var. lutescens (Torr. & Hook.) Kük.
  • Cyperus esculentus var. macrostachyus Boeckeler
  • Cyperus esculentus var. nervoso-striatus (Turrill) Kuk.
  • Cyperus esculentus var. nervosostriatus (Turrill) Kük.
  • Cyperus esculentus var. phymatodes (Muhl.) Kük.
  • Cyperus esculentus var. sativus Boeckeler
  • Cyperus esculentus var. sprucei C.B.Clarke
  • Cyperus fulvescens Liebm.
  • Cyperus gracilescens Schult.
  • Cyperus gracilescens Roem. & Schult.
  • Cyperus gracilis Link
  • Cyperus heermannii Buckley
  • Cyperus helodes Schrad. ex Nees
  • Cyperus hydra Kunth
  • Cyperus lutescens Torr. & Hook.

and 17 more.

Flowers

Flower colour
green (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit
Graminoid
Lifespan
Perennial
In the US and Canada
Canada: introduced, Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, Lower 48 states: native, Puerto Rico: introduced, U.S. Virgin Islands: introduced

Photos

More in Cyperus

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.