• Common Name : Diyahabarala
• Scientific Name : Monochoria vaginalis
• Family : Pontedriaceae
• Life cycle :Perannial
• Morphological characters : Stem – The stem is slightly erect and fleshy.
• Roots – :The roots are submerged under water or rooted in the mud and the rest parts are above the water surface.
• Leaves – : The leaves are heart-shaped, shiny, and with rounded bases.
• Flowers –: The flower head is clustered and composed of up to 25 flowers. The flowers are lilac or violet-blue.
• Propagation :: By Seeds or whole plant.
• Agricultural importance :: Diyahabarala can reduce rice yield as high as 82%, when left uncontrolled. Sixty individual plants/sq. m. can reduce yield by up to 35% (Rice IPM, 2001).
• Uses :: In India , the plant is used as vegetable and the roots are used for medicinal purposes.
• Control measures :: Studies show that when the weeds infest some rice fields in South Korea, they are found to be resistant to Bensulfuron-methyl.Thorough land preparation by plowing and harrowing. Keeping seedbeds free of weeds. Hand weeding, Crop rotation.