Herbicidal compounds of the formula ##STR1## in which R.sup.1 stands for halogen, cyano or trifluoromethyl,R.sup.2 stands for hydrogen or halogen,R.sup.3 stands for halogen, trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethylthio or trifluoromethylsulphonyl,R.sup.4 stands for hydrogen or halogen,X stands for nitrogen or for the grouping C-R.sup.5,whereR.sup.5 stands for hydrogen or halogen,with the proviso that at least one of the substituents R.sup.2 or R.sup.4 is different from hydrogen if R.sup.1 stands for chlorine or cyano and simultaneously R.sup.3 stands for trifluoromethyl and X stands for CH, and that R.sup.3 is different from trifluoromethyl if X stands for nitrogenA stands for optionally branched alkanediyl, andZ stands for cyano or the grouping --CO--Y,whereY stands for halogen, hydroxyl, amino, alkylamino, alkenylamino, alkinylamino, arylamino, aralkylamino, alkoxycarbonylalkylamino, cyanoamino, dialkylamino, dialkenylamino, N-alkylarylamino, alkylsulphonylamino, arylsulphonlamino, hydroxyamino, alkoxyamino, hydrazino, alkylsulphonylhydrazino, arylsulphonylhydrazino, alkylthio, arylthio, aralkylthio, alkoxycarbonylalkylthio or for the grouping --O--R.sup.6.