''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

n, and tropical island plants in the

grass family Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...

. Some species (particularly ''

Cymbopogon citratus ''Cymbopogon citratus'', commonly known as West Indian lemon grass or simply lemon grass, is a tropical plant native to Maritime Southeast Asia and introduced to many tropical regions. ''Cymbopogon citratus'' is often sold in stem form. While i ...

'') are commonly cultivated as culinary and medicinal herbs because of their scent, resembling that of lemons (''Citrus limon''). The name cymbopogon derives from the Greek words (, 'boat') and (, 'beard') "which mean hatin most species, the hairy spikelets project from boat-shaped spathes." Lemongrass and its oil are believed to possess therapeutic properties.

Uses

Citronella grass (''

Cymbopogon nardus ''Cymbopogon nardus'', common name citronella grass, is a species of perennial aromatic plant from the family Poaceae, originating in tropical Asia. It is the source of an essential oil known as citronella oil, which is widely used for its natura ...

'' and ''

Cymbopogon winterianus ''Cymbopogon winterianus'', common name java citronella, is a perennial aromatic plant from the family Poaceae, originating in western Malesia. Used in perfumery products and cosmetics, a source of Citronella oil Citronella oil Citronella oil i ...

'') grow to about and have magenta-colored base stems. These species are used for the production of citronella oil, which is used in soaps, as an insect repellent (especially mosquitoes and houseflies) in insect sprays and candles, and aromatherapy. The principal chemical constituents of citronella,

geraniol Geraniol is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol. It is the primary component of citronella oil and is a primary component of rose oil, palmarosa oil. It is a colorless oil, although commercial samples can appear yellow. It has low solubility in w ...

and citronellol, are antiseptics, hence their use in household disinfectants and soaps. Besides oil production, citronella grass is also used for culinary purposes as a flavoring. East Indian lemongrass (''

Cymbopogon flexuosus ''Cymbopogon flexuosus'', also called Cochin grass, East-Indian lemon grass or Malabar grass, is a perennial grass native to India, Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand. It is placed in the genus ''Cymbopogon'' (lemongrasses). Its essential oil is pr ...

''), also called Cochin grass or Malabar grass, is native to

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist s ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

, and

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

, while West Indian lemongrass (''

'') is native to maritime Southeast Asia. While both can be used interchangeably, ''C. citratus'' is more suitable for cooking. In India, ''C. citratus'' is used as a medical herb and in perfumes. ''C. citratus'' is consumed as a tea for anxiety in Brazilian folk medicine, but a study in humans found no effect. The tea caused a recurrence of contact dermatitis in one case. In the Caribbean, the tea is also brewed and consumed to boost immunity. It is called Tanglad in the Philippines, where it is believed that it has health benefits for the liver and the kidneys. One study found the tea may exert an erythropoiesis boosting effect. In Hoodoo, lemongrass is the primary ingredient of van van oil, one of the most popular oils used in conjure. Lemongrass is used in this preparation and on its own in hoodoo to protect against evil, spiritually clean a house, and to bring good luck in love affairs. In

beekeeping Beekeeping (or apiculture) is the maintenance of bee colonies, commonly in man-made beehives. Honey bees in the genus ''Apis (insect), Apis'' are the most-commonly-kept species but other honey-producing bees such as ''Melipona'' stingless bees ar ...

, lemongrass oil imitates the pheromone emitted by a honeybee's

Nasonov gland Nasonov's gland produces a pheromone used in recruitment in worker honeybees. The pheromone can serve the purposes of attracting workers to a settled swarm and draw bees who have lost their way back to the hive. It is used to recruit workers to ...

to attract bees to a hive or a swarm.

Species

Species included in the genus include: * ''

Cymbopogon ambiguus ''Cymbopogon ambiguus'', or Australian lemon-scented grass, is a plant species in the family Poaceae. It has fragrant, bluish-green grey leaves and fluffy seed heads. It is self-fertile. Cultivation ''Cymbopogon ambiguus'' needs a sunny position. ...

'' (Australian lemon-scented grass) – Australia, Timor * '' Cymbopogon annamensis'' – Yunnan, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand * '' Cymbopogon bhutanicus'' – Bhutan * '' Cymbopogon bombycinus'' silky oilgrass – Australia * '' Cymbopogon caesius'' – Sub-Saharan Africa, Indian Subcontinent, Yemen, Afghanistan, Madagascar,

Comoros The Comoros,, ' officially the Union of the Comoros,; ar, الاتحاد القمري ' is an independent country made up of three islands in southeastern Africa, located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. It ...

Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island o ...

* '' Cymbopogon calcicola'' – Thailand, Kedah * '' Cymbopogon calciphilus'' – Thailand * ''

Cymbopogon cambogiensis ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

'' – Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam * ''

'' (lemon grass or West Indian lemon grass) – Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Philippines * '' Cymbopogon clandestinus'' – Thailand, Myanmar,

Andaman Islands The Andaman Islands () are an archipelago in the northeastern Indian Ocean about southwest off the coasts of Myanmar's Ayeyarwady Region. Together with the Nicobar Islands to their south, the Andamans serve as a maritime boundary between t ...

* '' Cymbopogon coloratus'' –

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the second ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

, Myanmar, Vietnam * '' Cymbopogon commutatus'' –

Sahel The Sahel (; ar, ساحل ' , "coast, shore") is a region in North Africa. It is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. Having a hot semi-arid cli ...

, East Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan * '' Cymbopogon densiflorus'' – central + south-central Africa * '' Cymbopogon dependens'' – Australia * '' Cymbopogon dieterlenii'' –

Lesotho Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked as an enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the highest mountains in Southern Africa. It has an area of over and has a population ...

, Namibia, South Africa * '' Cymbopogon distans'' –

Gansu Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibe ...

Guizhou Guizhou (; Postal romanization, formerly Kweichow) is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in the Southwest China, southwest region of the China, People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Guiyang, in the center of the pr ...

Shaanxi Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), N ...

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of t ...

, Tibet, Yunnan, Nepal, northern Pakistan, Jammu & Kashmir * '' Cymbopogon exsertus'' – Nepal, Assam * ''

'' (East Indian lemon grass) – Indian Subcontinent, Indochina * '' Cymbopogon gidarba'' – Indian Subcontinent, Myanmar, Yunnan * '' Cymbopogon giganteus'' – Africa, Madagascar * '' Cymbopogon globosus'' – Maluku, New Guinea, Queensland * ''

Cymbopogon goeringii ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

'' – China, Korea, Japan incl Ryukyu Islands, Vietnam * ''

Cymbopogon gratus ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the Poaceae, grass famil ...

'' – Queensland * ''

Cymbopogon jwarancusa ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

'' –

Socotra Socotra or Soqotra (; ar, سُقُطْرَىٰ ; so, Suqadara) is an island of the Republic of Yemen in the Indian Ocean, under the ''de facto'' control of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, a secessionist participant in Yemen� ...

, Turkey, Middle East, Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Indian Subcontinent, Tibet,

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the ...

, Vietnam * '' Cymbopogon khasianus'' – Yunnan, Guangxi, Assam, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand * '' Cymbopogon liangshanensis'' – Sichuan * '' Cymbopogon mandalaiaensis'' – Myanmar * ''

Cymbopogon marginatus ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

'' – Cape Province of South Africa * '' Cymbopogon martini'' (palmarosa) – Indian Subcontinent, Myanmar, Vietnam * ''

Cymbopogon mekongensis ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the Poaceae, grass famil ...

'' – China, Indochina * '' Cymbopogon microstachys'' Indian Subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand, Yunnan * '' Cymbopogon microthecus'' – Nepal, Bhutan, Assam, West Bengal, Bangladesh * ''

Cymbopogon minor ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

'' – Yunnan * '' Cymbopogon minutiflorus'' – Sulawesi * ''

'' (citronella grass) – Indian Subcontinent, Indochina, central + southern Africa, Madagascar,

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, ...

* ''

Cymbopogon nervatus ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

'' – Myanmar, Thailand, central Africa * '' Cymbopogon obtectus'' Silky-heads – Australia * ''

Cymbopogon osmastonii ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

'' – India, Bangladesh * ''

Cymbopogon pendulus ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

'' – Yunnan, eastern Himalayas, Myanmar, Vietnam * ''

Cymbopogon polyneuros ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

'' – Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Myanmar * ''

Cymbopogon pospischilii ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

'' – eastern + southern Africa, Oman, Yemen, Himalayas, Tibet, Yunnan * ''

Cymbopogon procerus ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

'' – Australia, New Guinea, Maluku,

Lesser Sunda Islands The Lesser Sunda Islands or nowadays known as Nusa Tenggara Islands ( id, Kepulauan Nusa Tenggara, formerly ) are an archipelago in Maritime Southeast Asia, north of Australia. Together with the Greater Sunda Islands to the west they make up ...

, Sulawesi * ''

Cymbopogon pruinosus ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the Poaceae, grass famil ...

'' – islands of Indian Ocean * '' Cymbopogon queenslandicus'' – Queensland * ''

Cymbopogon quinhonensis ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

'' – Vietnam * ''

Cymbopogon rectus ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

'' – Lesser Sunda Islands, Java * '' Cymbopogon refractus'' (barbed wire grass) – Australia incl

Norfolk Island Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together wit ...

* ''

Cymbopogon schoenanthus ''Cymbopogon schoenanthus'', the camel grass, camel's hay, fever grass, geranium grass, or West Indian lemon grass, is a herbal plant of Southern Asia and Northern Africa, with fragrant foliage. Uses ''Cymbopogon schoenanthus'' is often made in ...

'' (camel hay or camel grass) – Sahara, Sahel, eastern Africa, Arabian Peninsular, Iran * '' Cymbopogon tortilis'' – China incl Taiwan,

Ryukyu The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yonagu ...

+ Bonin Is, Philippines, Vietnam, Maluku * ''

Cymbopogon tungmaiensis ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

'' – Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan * ''

'' (citronella grass) – Borneo, Java, Sumatra * '' Cymbopogon xichangensis'' – Sichuan ;Formerly included Numerous species are now regarded as better suited to other genera, including ''

Andropogon ''Andropogon'' (common names: beard grass, bluestem grass, broomsedge) is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family, native to much of Asia, Africa, and the Americas, as well as southern Europe and various oceanic islands. Over 100 specie ...

, Exotheca,

Hyparrhenia ''Hyparrhenia'' is a genus of grasses. Many species are known commonly as thatching grass. They are mostly native to tropical Africa; some can be found in warmer areas in temperate Eurasia, Australia, and Latin America. These are annual and per ...

, Iseilema,

Schizachyrium ''Schizachyrium'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words (), meaning "to split," and (), meaning "chaff." It refers to either the glume or the toothed lemmas. In the United Stat ...

, and Themeda''.

Images

File:Serai.jpg, Lemongrass at a market File:Prepared lemon grass.JPG, Prepared lemongrass File:LemongrassEssOil.png, Lemongrass (''Cymbopogon flexuosus'') essential oil in clear glass vial File:Yam thale.jpg, Thai ''yam takhrai kung sot'' (ยำตะไคร้กุ้งสด), a salad ( ''yam'') made with prawns and finely sliced fresh lemongrass File:Dinuguan made with choice pork cuts and spiced with lemongrass.jpg, A knot of lemongrass used to impart fragrance in '' dinuguan'' ( Filipino pork blood stew) File:LEMON GRASS (8313631600).jpg, Knots of lemongrass ready for use in

Filipino cuisine Filipino cuisine ( fil, lutong Pilipino/pagkaing Pilipino) is composed of the cuisines of more than a hundred distinct ethnolinguistic groups found throughout the Philippine archipelago. A majority of mainstream Filipino dishes that compose Fi ...

References

Bibliography

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q5727732 Grasses of Africa Grasses of Asia Poaceae genera Poales of Australia Medicinal plants