Latin name

Mariscus compactus (Retz.) Druce

Family

Cyperacea

Common name(s)

Hedgehog cyperus and swamp mariscus

Synonym(s)

Cyperus compactus Retz. (basionym), Cyperus compactus Retz., C. dilutus Vahl, Mariscus dilutus Nees, M. microcephalus J. Presl & C. Presl, Sphaeromariscus microcephalus E.G. Camus

Geographical distribution

South and Southeast Asia: Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Morphology

A perennial with very short rhizomes, up to 15—120—cm—tall.

Stem: smooth, usually robust, 3—angled though almost cylindrical.

Leaf: rigid with strong lengthwise furrows, rough to the touch on margins, 5—10—mm—wide; sheath reddish brown, spongy.

Inflorescence: umbellate, reddish brown, up to 30—cm across; 6—12 primary rays, globose or subglobose spikes; each spike has numerous, linear lanceolate brown spikelets.

Fruit: three-angled nut, oblong-linear, light brown, 1.5—2—mm—long and slightly convex on one side.

Biology and ecology

Propagates by rhizomes, tubers, or seeds. Grows in wastelands, roadsides, and rainfed and lowland rice fields.

Agricultural importance

Can be very competitive with rice. Serves as an alternate host of the disease Xanthomonas campestris and insect pests Dicladispa armigera (Olivier), Parapoynx stagnalis (Zeller), and Sesamia inferens (Walker).

Management

Cultural control: repeated tillage; cleaning of farm machinery to remove clinging tubers and roots required to reduce spreading between fields.

Chemical control: herbicides, including terbacil, amitrole, dichlobenil, and MSMA, reported to be effective.

Selected references

Kern JH. 1974. Cyperaceae. Flora Malesiana Ser. 1 7(3): 435-753.

Moody K. 1981. Major weeds of rice in South and Southeast Asia. Manila (Philippines): International Rice Research Institute. 79 p.

Moody K. 1989. Weeds reported in rice in South and Southeast Asia. Manila (Philippines): International Rice Research Institute. 442 p.

Moody K, Munroe CE, Lubigan RT, Paller Jr. EC. 1984. Major weeds of the Philippines. Weed Science Society of the Philippines. College Laguna (Philippines): University of the Philippines at Los Baños 328 p.

Pancho JV, Obien SR. 1995. Manual of ricefield weeds in the Philippines. Muñoz, Nueva Ecija (Philippines): Philippine Rice Research Institute. 543 p.

Contributors

JLA Catindig, RT Lubigan, and DE Johnson