NUT GRASS

Nutgrass (Cyperus rotundus) is a long-lived grass-like plant usually growing 20-50 cm tall. It produces a network of creeping underground stems with small tubers (10-25 mm long). Its upright flowering stems are smooth and three-angled in cross-section its very narrow leaves (7.5-20 cm long and 2-6 mm wide) are borne in a tuft at the base of the stems. Its seed-heads have 3-8 branches of varying in length (up to 10 cm long) and are subtended by two to four green leafy bracts. These branches bear several elongated reddish-brown or purplish-brown flower spikelets (10-25 mm long and 2-2.5 mm wide). Common Names: Coco grass, Ground almond, Java grass, Red nutgrass.

Nutgrass can invade a large number of crops, and is also known to invade natural environments (Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries and Water 2007). In Queensland, Yellow Nutgrass has been reported as a pest of summer crops on the near north coast and in sugar cane on the far north coast (Kleinschmidt & Johnson 1977).

Nutgrass is only naturalised sporadically, mostly in coastal areas of eastern Australia (New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria) (Wilson 1993). Yellow nut sedge is not known to be present in Tasmania, although plants thought to be yellow nut sedge, now apparently eradicated, were detected in the state's northeast in 1995 (Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries and Water 2007).

Spray FireHawk Bioherbicide Concentrate: 50 mL/L of water. Respray when regrowth occurs from roots and/or runners. May require repeated application to obtain long-term weed control.