''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 ...

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 ...

n, Australian, 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 and ...

. 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

lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...

s (''Citrus limon''). The name cymbopogon derives from the Greek words (, 'boat') and (, 'beard') "which mean

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mech ...

in 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 natu ...

'' 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 ...

'') grow to about and have magenta-colored base stems. These species are used for the production of

citronella oil Citronella oil Citronella oil is an essential oil obtained from the leaves and stems of different species of ''Cymbopogon'' (lemongrass). The oil is used extensively as a source of perfumery chemicals such as citronellal, citronellol, and gerani ...

, which is used in soaps, as an

insect repellent An insect repellent (also commonly called "bug spray") is a substance applied to skin, clothing, or other surfaces to discourage insects (and arthropods in general) from landing or climbing on that surface. Insect repellents help prevent and co ...

(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 Citronellol, or dihydrogeraniol, is a natural acyclic monoterpenoid. Both enantiomers occur in nature. (+)-Citronellol, which is found in citronella oils, including ''Cymbopogon nardus'' (50%), is the more common isomer. (−)-Citronellol is w ...

, are

antiseptics An antiseptic (from Greek ἀντί ''anti'', "against" and σηπτικός ''sēptikos'', "putrefactive") is an antimicrobial substance or compound that is applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putre ...

, 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 ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongr ...

''), 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 Thailan ...

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 it ...

, Laos,

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

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 Maritime Southeast Asia comprises the countries of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and East Timor. Maritime Southeast Asia is sometimes also referred to as Island Southeast Asia, Insular Southeast Asia or Oceanic Sout ...

. 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 Contact dermatitis is a type of acute or chronic inflammation of the skin caused by exposure to chemical or physical agents. Symptoms of contact dermatitis can include itchy or dry skin, a red rash, bumps, blisters, or swelling. These rashes ar ...

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 Erythropoiesis (from Greek 'erythro' meaning "red" and 'poiesis' "to make") is the process which produces red blood cells (erythrocytes), which is the development from erythropoietic stem cell to mature red blood cell. It is stimulated by decre ...

boosting effect. In Hoodoo, lemongrass is the primary ingredient of

van van oil A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across t ...

, 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, lemongrass oil imitates the

pheromone A pheromone () is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting like hormones outside the body of the secreting individual, to affect the behavio ...

emitted by a

honeybee A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current cos ...

's Nasonov gland to attract bees to a hive or a swarm.

Species

Species included in the genus include: * '' Cymbopogon ambiguus'' (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,

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 ...

* ''

Cymbopogon calcicola ''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,

Kedah Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman and historically as Queda, is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km2, and it consists of the mainla ...

* '' 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 th ...

* '' Cymbopogon coloratus'' –

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

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 languag ...

, 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 c ...

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

Cymbopogon dieterlenii ''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 s ...

'' –

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 populatio ...

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

Guizhou Guizhou (; formerly Kweichow) is a landlocked province in the southwest region of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Guiyang, in the center of the province. Guizhou borders the autonomous region of Guangxi to t ...

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), Ning ...

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 th ...

, 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'' – China, Korea, Japan incl Ryukyu Islands, Vietnam * '' Cymbopogon gratus'' – Queensland * '' Cymbopogon jwarancusa'' –

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'' –

Cape Province The Province of the Cape of Good Hope ( af, Provinsie Kaap die Goeie Hoop), commonly referred to as the Cape Province ( af, Kaapprovinsie) and colloquially as The Cape ( af, Die Kaap), was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequen ...

of South Africa * '' Cymbopogon martini'' (palmarosa) – Indian Subcontinent, Myanmar, Vietnam * '' Cymbopogon mekongensis'' – China, Indochina * '' Cymbopogon microstachys'' Indian Subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand, Yunnan * '' Cymbopogon microthecus'' – Nepal, Bhutan, Assam, West Bengal, Bangladesh * '' Cymbopogon minor'' – 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 s ...

'' – Myanmar, Thailand, central Africa * '' Cymbopogon obtectus'' Silky-heads – Australia * '' Cymbopogon osmastonii'' – India, Bangladesh * '' Cymbopogon pendulus'' – Yunnan, eastern Himalayas, Myanmar, Vietnam * '' Cymbopogon polyneuros'' – Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Myanmar * '' Cymbopogon pospischilii'' – eastern + southern Africa, Oman, Yemen, Himalayas, Tibet, Yunnan * '' Cymbopogon procerus'' – 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 u ...

, Sulawesi * '' Cymbopogon pruinosus'' – islands of Indian Ocean * ''

Cymbopogon queenslandicus ''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 s ...

'' – Queensland * '' Cymbopogon quinhonensis'' – Vietnam * '' Cymbopogon rectus'' – Lesser Sunda Islands, Java * ''

Cymbopogon refractus ''Cymbopogon refractus'', commonly known as barbed wire grass, is a species of perennial grass in the genus ''Cymbopogon'' of the family Poaceae. It is native to Australia. Description ''Cymbopogon refractus'' is a tufted perennial bunchgrass, ...

'' (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 w ...

* ''

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 i ...

'' (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 Yonaguni ...

+ Bonin Is, Philippines, Vietnam, Maluku * '' Cymbopogon tungmaiensis'' – 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 speci ...

, 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 ''Iseilema,'' commonly known in Australia as Flinders grass, is a genus of Asian and Australian plants in the grass family Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly know ...

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 States ...

, and

Themeda ''Themeda'' is a genus of plants in the grass family native to Asia, Africa, Australia, and Papuasia. There are about 18Barkworth, M. E''Themeda''.Grass Manual. Flora of North America. to 26Potdar, G. G., et al. (2003)A new species of ''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 ''Dinuguan'' () is a Filipino savory stew usually of pork offal (typically lungs, kidneys, intestines, ears, heart and snout) and/or meat simmered in a rich, spicy dark gravy of pig blood, garlic, chili (most often ''siling haba''), and vine ...

'' (

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

pork blood Many cultures consume blood, often in combination with meat. The blood may be in the form of blood sausage, as a thickener for sauces, a Curing (food preservation), cured salted form for times of food scarcity, or in a blood soup. This is a prod ...

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 F ...

References

Bibliography

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