Nirvishi / Whitehead Spikesedge
Cyperus kyllingia
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Uttarakhand
How to identify Nirvishi
Identify Nirvishi by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a herb habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: White globular flower heads.
- Confirm flower colour: White/pale green.
- In India, compare location records such as Uttarakhand.
- Confirm it sits within the Cyperaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Nirvishi.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Cyperus kyllingia
- Genus
- Cyperus
- Family
- Cyperaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Open deciduous forests near moist places
- Found in India
- Uttarakhand
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Typical of the Cyperaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- White/pale greenrecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Spike
- Fruit
- Achene
Characters marked “recorded” are for Nirvishi itself; the rest are typical of the Cyperaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- निर्विषी Nirvishi
- Manipuri
- ꯀꯧꯊꯨꯝ Kouthum
- Mizo
- Pi-sa-um-bur
- Tamil
- வெலுத்த நிர்பஸீ Velutta nirbasi
- Malayalam
- വെലുത്ത നിര്വസീ Velutta nirvasi, Palnivasi, Pimuttanna
- Telugu
- Gandala
- Sanskrit
- श्वेतनिर्विष Svetanirvisa
About Nirvishi
Whitehead Spikesedge (Cyperus kyllingia) belongs to the Cyperaceae family, where it grows as a herb. In India it has been recorded in Uttarakhand. It grows in open deciduous forests near moist places.
Cyperaceae
Sedge family
Nirvishi belongs to the Cyperaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Cyperaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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