Cyperus diffusus var. diffusus Miq.

Perennial with very short rhizome. Stems tufted, rather stout, trigonous below, triquetrous above, smooth, 15-80 cm by 3-5 mm. Leaves as long as or longer than the stems, channelled at the base, otherwise flat, flaccid, with 3 prominent nerves, rather abruptly acuminate, light green beneath, grassgreen above, 5-10(-20)mm wide; margins scabrous nearly throughout, nerves scaberulous in the upper half; lower sheaths purplish. Inflorescence decompound or supradecompound, diffuse, usually lax, up to 30 cm across. Involucral bracts 4-10, spreading or reflexed, unequal, the larger ones much overtopping the inflorescence, up to 50 cm by 16 mm. Primary rays up to 20, unequal, spreading, rigid, smooth, up to 20 cm, secondary ones up to 4 cm, tertiary ones short, setaceous. Spikelets digitately arranged, 2-9 together but often some solitary, oblong, turgid-compressed, (4-)6-12(-20)-flowered, (3-)7-10 by 2-3 mm; rachilla partly visible, straight, persistent, narrowly winged; internodes c. ½ mm. Glumes membranous, patulous, boat-shaped, broadly ovate to suborbicular, very obtuse, densely imbricate, with strongly 3-nerved, arcuate, green keel, fuscous, faintly nerved sides and whitish hyaline margins, 1¼(-1½) by 1½(-2)mm; mucro slightly recurved, setulose at the top, ⅓-½ mm. Stamens 3; anthers linear-oblong, rostrate by the produced connective setulose at the top, ¾-1 mm. Style hardly any; stigmas 3, exserted from the glume. Nut triquetrous, ellipsoid or subpyramidal, often somewhat surpassing the body of the glume, acute, shortly apiculate, dark brown to dusky black, (1.2-)1⅓-1½ mm by c.¾ mm.

In thickets, moist forests (often in deep shade) on river-banks, shady road-sides, at low altitude, rarely up to 700 m.

Uses. In Mindanao the roots are used as a medicine for diseased lips.