Abstract: Heterocyclically substituted N-sultamsulfonamides, processes for their preparation and their use as herbicides and plant growth regulators.Compounds of the formula I or their salts ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 denote H, halogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl or alkoxy, which can be substituted, or denote --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --COOR.sup.11 ;R.sup.3 denotes H, alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl;R.sup.4 denotes a heterocyclic radical of the formulae ##STR2## where E is CH or N; X is O or S and a, b, c, d, e in each case denote 0, 1 or 2, with the proviso that c+d+e.gtoreq.2, possess excellent herbicidal and plant growth-regulating properties.