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Family Cyperaceae
Anuang
Kyllinga monocephala Rottb.
WHITEHEAD SPIKEHEDGE
Dan sui shui wu gong

Scientific names Common names
Kyllinga monocephala Rottb. Anuang (Tag.)
Kyllinga nemoralis (J.R. et G. Forst.) Dandy ex H. & D. Barubotones (Bis.)
Kyllinga triceps Blanco Bolobotones (Bis.)
Kyllinga mindorensis Steud. Borobotones (Bis.)
Kyllinga gracilis Kunth Botoncillo (Span., Bis.)
Cyperus kyllingia Engl. Bosobotones (Bis.)
Dan sui shui wu gong (Chin.) Borsa-ñga-dadakkel (Ilk.)
  Baki-baki (S. L. Bis.)
  Bosikad (C. Bis.)
  Boskad (Bis.)
  Busikad (P. Bis.)
  Katutu (Mag.)
  Kurukamoting-orig (Bik.)
  Malabotones (Bis.)
  Mutha (Tag.)
  Mustra (Tag.)
  Puñgos (S. L. Bis.)
  Sangsangitan (Bon.)
  Sud-sud (Bis.)
  Uli-uli (Bag.)
  Nut grass (Engl.)
  White-flowered kyllinga (Engl.)
  Whitehead spikesedge (Engl.)
  White water sedge (Engl.)
Mutha is a common name shared by both Cyperus rotundus (botobotones) and Kyllinga monocephala (anuang, borobotones). They have similar characteristics, and K. monocephala has been questioned on its use as a substitute. Rhizomes have similar appearances, and as crude drugs are hard to differentiate.

Other vernacular names
CHAMORRO: Botoncillo, Chaguan lemae, Chaguan lemai, Chaguan ni, Manonogcha lemai.
FIJIAAN: Pako.
HAWAIIAN: Kili'o'opu, Mau'u mokae.
MANGAREVAN: Mutie iwa.
MAORI: Matie karanga, Mauku 'ōniāni, Neke 'enua, Tama 'enua
POHNPEIAN: LIimeiseri, Lingkarak tikitik, Rehlingkarak.
PUKAPUKAN: Vayavaya.
SAMOAN: Mo'u upo'o, Mo'u upo'o, Mutia, Ta'ata'a vili taliga, Tuise, tuise.
TAHITIAN: Matie Tahiti, Mo'u upoo, Pakopako, Pakopako 'ae kuma.  
TONGAN: Pakopako, Tuise.

Botany
Anuang is a perennial creeping hedge, more or less glabrous, arising from long-creeping rootstocks. Stems are usually solitary, 10 to 40 centimeters high, and 3-angled. Leaves are shorter than the stem, up to 15 centimeters in length or longer, 3 to 4 millimeters wide; with the bracts similar. Spikes are ovoid, simple, white, 8 to 13 centimeters long. Spikelets are very numerous, 3 to 3.5 millimeters long, the flowering glume distinctly winged along the keel. Inflorescence is a globose terminal head, 5 to 10 millimetrs in diameter. Fruit is a nut , up to 1.5 millimeters long, oblong to suborbicular, with a lens-shaped achene.

Distribution
- In waste places, open grasslands, etc., at low and medium altitudes throughout the Philippines.
- A major weed in improved pastures.
- Pantropic.

Properties
- Oil distilled from the roots is dark yellowish-green, with a pleasant odor and pungent taste.
- Considered diuretic, sudorific, refrigerant, demulcent and tonic.
Parts used
Oil, roots, rhizome.

Uses

Folkloric
- Decoction of fresh roots used as sudorific in malaria with chills.
- Decoction of rhizome used as diuretic; mixed with oi, used externally for various forms of dermatoses.
- Decoction of root used as refrigerant, demulcent and tonic; used to relieve thirst in diabetes.
- Oil distilled from the root used to relieve itching.
- Oil used internally for torpor of the liver.
- Shares other properties and uses like Cyperus rotundus.


Studies
Analgesic / Hypoglycemic:
Methanol extract study in mice showed K. monocephala to lower blood glucose level when admiistered 15 min after a glucose load. The extract also exhibited analgesic activity, significantly reducing the number of writhes in mice administered intraperitoneally with acetic acid to induce abdominal constriction.
Antidiabetic: Different extracts of K. monocephala rhizomes were studied in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. An aqueous extract showed significant antidiabetic property. The antidiabetic effect was attributed to its main phytoconstituents--flavonoids and tannins.
a-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity: Study screened 80% aqueous ethanolic extracts of selected plants used as remedies for diabetes for potential a-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Except for A. bilimbi, all the plants, which included Kyllinga monocephala, exhibited significant enzyme inhibitory activity.

Availability
Wild-crafted.

Last Update February 2013

Photos ©Godofredo Stuart / StuartXchange

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Analgesic and Hypoglycemic Activities of Bixa orellana, Kyllinga monocephala and Luffa acutangula / Jusal Quanico, Evangeline Amor and Grace Perez / Philippine Journal of Science, 137 (1): 69-76, June 2008
(2)
Kyllinga nemoralis (J. R. et G. Forst.) Dandy ex Hatch. et Dalziel / Chinese name / Catalogue of Life, China
(3)
Kyllinga nemoralis (J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.) Dandy ex Hutch. & Dalziel, Cyperaceae / Common names / Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk / PIER
(4)
Comparative Pharmacognostic Studies on Cyperus rotundus Linn. and Kyllinga monocephala Rottb. (Cyperaceae) / S.P Sudusinghe, P.Marasinghe and J.W Damunupola / Proceedings of the Peradeniya University Research Sessions, Sri Lanka, Vol. 16, 24th November 2011
(5)
Assessment of antidiabetic potential of kyllinga monocephala rottb.extract in streptozotocin diabetic rats /
Kumar, Abhishek / Dissertation 2010 / Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences,Karnataka,Bangalore
(6)
Analgesic activity of extracts of Kyllinga monocephala / Amor, Evangeline C.; Quanico, Jusal P.; Perez, Grace G. / Pharmaceutical Biology , Volume 47 (7) / Informa Healthcare – Jul 1, 2009
(7)
α-Glucosidase inhibitory activity of selected Philippine plants. / Lawag IL, Aguinaldo AM, Naheed S, Mosihuzzaman M. / J Ethnopharmacol. 2012 Oct 31;144(1):217-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2012.08.019. Epub 2012 Aug 27


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