Mutha
Cyperus rotundus · Purple nutsedge
- Names in the book
- Mutha, Tag.; Botobotones, Vis.; Mota, Malaapolid, Sursur, Onoran, Kusug̃, Omadiug̃, Galonalpas, Pam.; Nutgrass or Coco-grass, Eng.
- Used for
- Mouth, teeth and throatDiarrhea and dysenteryStomach and digestionWormsJoint pain, sprains and swellingUrinaryMenstruation and childbirth
- Colours
- flowerbrown, purple
- Native range
- Africa, southern Europe and southern Asia
- In the Philippines, per the book
- Common in Luzon and Panay. Blooms in June and July.
- Family
- Cyperaceae, filed in the book under Cyperaceæ
- Printed as
- Cyperus rotundus, L.
- Sources
- Page 239 on Project Gutenberg · Wikipedia
The plant today
Cyperus rotundus (coco-grass, Java grass, nut grass, purple nut sedge or purple nutsedge, red nut sedge, Khmer kravanh chruk) is a species of sedge (Cyperaceae) native to Africa, southern and central Europe (north to France and Austria), and southern Asia. The word cyperus derives from the Greek κύπερος, kyperos, and rotundus is from Latin, meaning "round". The earliest attested form of the word cyperus is the Mycenaean Greek 𐀓𐀞𐀫, ku-pa-ro, written in Linear B syllabic script.
Excerpt from “Cyperus rotundus” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Recorded in the Philippines
GBIF holds 153 records of this plant from the Philippines. The ones with map coordinates fall in 18 provinces, most often Metropolitan Manila (6), Bukidnon (3), Negros Oriental (3), Pangasinan (3), Tarlac (3), Laguna (2), Lanao del Norte (2), Leyte (2), and 10 more.
Counts from GBIF occurrence records, October 2026. They include planted trees and garden plants, and a province with no records may only lack collectors.
What the 1901 book says
A historical record, quoted as printed. Doses and remedies here are not medical advice.
Uses
The root possesses stimulant, diaphoretic, diuretic and emmenagogue properties. In the Philippines it is used internally for dysentery, and in India for the same purpose and as a vermifuge. It is given as a tonic in gastro-intestinal diseases, and General Hardwick has reported good results with it in cholera; as he reported only two cases, his testimony is not of much value.
The Chinese use the dry or roasted root, especially in inflammation of the viscera and uterine diseases. They also attribute to it diuretic, emmenagogue and anthelmintic properties. In Java and India they use it for gonorrhœa, and in Mauritius as a diaphoretic and astringent. In the Philippines the bruised root is applied to the face for toothache.
Botanical description
The root is ovoid, ranging in size from that of a hazel-nut to that of a walnut, composed of a white, spongy substance. Leaves sword-shaped, ensheathing the stem. Flowers in a compound umbel on the end of the stalk which is naked, long and triangular. The umbellets are alternate, awl-shaped, with distinct flowers. Calyx universal, with 2 sword-shaped leaflets. Calyx proper, a very small, ridged scale. Corolla none. Stamens 3. Filaments long, inserted on the base of the ovary. Anthers long and straight. Style 1. Stigmas 3, simple, revolute. Fruit 1. Seed oblong, 3-sided, glabrous.
Recent research
The most cited papers since 2022 that name this plant in the title, pulled from Europe PMC in October 2026. Titles are the authors' own and the findings have not been reviewed here.
- In vitro and in vivo anthelmintic and chemical studies of Cyperus rotundus L. extracts
- Classification and rapid non-destructive quality evaluation of different processed products of Cyperus rotundus based on near-infrared spectroscopy combined with deep learning
- Phytochemistry, data mining, pharmacology, toxicology and the analytical methods of Cyperus rotundus L. (Cyperaceae): a comprehensive review