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Cyperus bracheilema (Cyperus bracheilema)

Cyperus is an introduced perennial sedge found at a few locations in the Central Tablelands, Greater Sydney and Hunter regions. It can compete with horticultural crops, pastures and native plants, and can become a weed in lawns and gardens.

Key facts

Type: Weed, herb.

Native to: Eastern Africa, from Ethiopia to South Africa.

Established in: NSW.

Other names: Sedge, Cyperus teneristolon.

Best time to act: Look for the conspicuous seedheads in summer and treat plants while they are actively growing.

Identification

  • A perennial sedge growing up to 50 cm tall, it forms dense stands and has long, slender stolons that run along the ground.
  • Its bright green leaves are 5–45 cm long and 1–3 mm wide, with rough edges and sheaths clasping the stems.
  • The dark purplish to reddish brown, sometimes black, seedheads are oval, with three green leaf-like bracts at the base, and appear in summer.
  • Each seedhead consists of densely clustered spikelets; the stems are upright, smooth, triangular in cross-section and without nodes.
  • Brown seeds are narrowly oval and slightly flattened; fibrous roots are attached to an extensive network of rhizomes.
  • Look-alike: It resembles many native and introduced sedges in the genus Cyperus.
  • Look-alike: Cyperus bracheilema is distinguished by its stolons and dense, oval-shaped, dark purplish to reddish brown seedheads.

Where it grows

In NSW it has been found along creek edges, in damp open areas, on rocky highland outcrops and under eucalypts.

Why it matters

  • It can compete with horticultural crops and with native plants.
  • Livestock do not eat it, and it can compete with pasture in damp areas.
  • It can become a weed in lawns and gardens.

How it spreads

  • The whole flower spike falls from the plant before releasing its seeds, which can be spread by water.
  • The plant also spreads by stolons and rhizomes.
  • The Katoomba infestation is believed to have originated from dumped garden waste at the Blue Mountains waste facility upstream.

Control options

  • Small plants can be dug out; take care to manage removed plant material so stolons and rhizomes are not spread.
  • For spot spraying, treat actively growing plants and cover all foliage with the herbicide mix.
  • Use only herbicides registered for the situation, and follow the product label and any applicable permit directions.
  • Follow up after initial control by checking for and treating regrowth or new seedlings; contact the local council weeds officer for identification advice.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Avoid dumping garden waste or moving soil and plant material that may contain stolons, rhizomes or seeds.
  • Clean soil and plant fragments from boots, tools and machinery before moving between sites.
  • Inspect and clean vehicles, plant and footwear before leaving an infested area, paying attention to tyres, radiators, belly plates, tracks and floor mats.
  • Wash down at a designated bay where runoff is contained and can be monitored for seedlings.
  • Record each washdown so the client has evidence of clean entry and exit.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Not a priority weed. Not a state or regional priority weed in NSW. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Not declared. Not declared under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. Other laws may still apply.
  • Western Australia: Not listed. Not found in the Western Australian Organism List. Check with DPIRD before moving or keeping it.
  • Tasmania: Not declared. Not a declared weed in Tasmania. Other laws may still apply.
  • Northern Territory: Check NT list. There is no NT weed profile for it. Check the NT declared weeds list for its current status.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Sources