Abstract Herbaceous Echinochloa crusgalli var. frumentacea is highly resistant to a wide range of heavy metal concentrations. However, its detoxification mechanism has not been reported yet. We exposed plants to $100{mu}M;CdCl_2$ for 7 days then examined cadmium accumulation and its subcellular distribution in binding to ligands. Cd concentration increased over the exposure period to a saturation point at day5 when its level reached $1,732.41{mu}g;g^{-1}$ dry weight, an amount about 820 times greater than that found in the control. In the roots, most Cd was distributed in the insoluble fraction, perhaps because of an absorption mechanism at the root surface. Our profile for distribution revealed two Cd-binding ligand peaks: a high molecular weight of 60kDa and a 2.5-kDa Cd-binding ligand. The latter increased with time and had a typical phytochelatin (PC) amino acid composition of predominantly cysteine, glutamate, and glycine (16.5%, 16.6%, and 11.9%, respectively). The ratio of glutamate/cysteine/glycine was 1.4:1.4:1.0, which is similar to that for other typical PCs.