Cymbopogon
Encyclopedia
Cymbopogon is a genus of about 55 species of grasses
, (of which the type species is Cymbopogon citratus) native to warm temperate and tropical regions of the Old World
and Oceania
. It is a tall perennial
grass. Common names include lemon grass, lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, citronella grass,cha de Dartigalongue, fever grass, tanglad, hierba Luisa or gavati chaha amongst many others.
in Asian cuisine. It has a subtle citrus
flavor and can be dried and powdered, or used fresh.
Lemongrass is commonly used in tea
s, soup
s, and curries
. It is also suitable for poultry, fish, beef, and seafood. It is often used as a tea in African countries such as Togo
and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
and Latin America
n countries such as Mexico
.
Lemongrass oil is used as a pesticide
and a preservative
. Research shows that lemongrass oil has anti-fungal
properties.
Citronella Grass
(Cymbopogon nardus and Cymbopogon winterianus) is similar to the species above but grows to 2 m and has red base stems. These species are used for the production of citronella oil
, which is used in soaps, as an insect repellent
in insect sprays and candles, and also in aromatherapy, which is famous in Bintan Island, Indonesia
. The principal chemical constituents of citronella, geraniol
and citronellol
, are antiseptics, hence their use in household disinfectants and soaps. Besides oil production, citronella grass is also used for culinary purposes, in tea and as a flavoring.
Lemon Grass Oil, used as a pesticide and preservative, is put on the ancient palm-leaf manuscripts found in India as a preservative. It is used at the Oriental Research Institute Mysore
, the French Institute of Pondicherry
, the Association for the Preservation of the Saint Thomas Christian Heritage in Kerala
and many other manuscript collections in India. The lemon grass oil also injects natural fluidity into the brittle palm leaves and the hydrophobic nature of the oil keeps the manuscripts dry so that the text is not lost to decay due to humidity.
East-Indian Lemon Grass
(Cymbopogon flexuosus), also called Cochin Grass or Malabar Grass (Malayalam: ഇഞ്ചിപ്പുല്ല്(inchippullu), is native to Cambodia
, India
, Sri Lanka
, Burma,and Thailand
while the West-Indian lemon grass
(Cymbopogon citratus), also known as serai in Malay, is assumed to have its origins in Malaysia. Indonesian people used to called it serai too or sereh. While both can be used interchangeably, C. citratus is more suited for cooking. In India
C. citratus is used both as a medical herb and in perfumes. Cymbopogon 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.
Lemon grass is also known as Gavati Chaha (गवती चहा) in the Marathi language
(Gavat=grass; Chaha=tea), and is used as an addition to tea, and in preparations like 'kadha,' which is a traditional herbal 'soup' used against coughs, colds, etc. It has medicinal properties and is used extensively in Ayurvedic medicine
. It is supposed to help with relieving cough and nasal congestion.
In Kerala
, lemon grass is steeped as an herbal tea called "Chukku Kaapi", literally "dried ginger coffee".
Poaceae
The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...
, (of which the type species is Cymbopogon citratus) native to warm temperate and tropical regions of the Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
and Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
. It is a tall perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
grass. Common names include lemon grass, lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, citronella grass,cha de Dartigalongue, fever grass, tanglad, hierba Luisa or gavati chaha amongst many others.
Uses
Lemongrass is native to India and tropical Asia. It is widely used as a herbHerb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
in Asian cuisine. It has a subtle citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
flavor and can be dried and powdered, or used fresh.
Lemongrass is commonly used in tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
s, soup
Soup
Soup is a generally warm food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.Traditionally,...
s, and curries
Curry
Curry is a generic description used throughout Western culture to describe a variety of dishes from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisines...
. It is also suitable for poultry, fish, beef, and seafood. It is often used as a tea in African countries such as Togo
Togo
Togo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately...
and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n countries such as Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Lemongrass oil is used as a pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
and a preservative
Preservative
A preservative is a naturally occurring or synthetically produced substance that is added to products such as foods, pharmaceuticals, paints, biological samples, wood, etc. to prevent decomposition by microbial growth or by undesirable chemical changes....
. Research shows that lemongrass oil has anti-fungal
Antifungal drug
An antifungal medication is a medication used to treat fungal infections such as athlete's foot, ringworm, candidiasis , serious systemic infections such as cryptococcal meningitis, and others...
properties.
Citronella Grass
Cymbopogon nardus
Cymbopogon nardus is a perennial of the Poaceae grass family, originating in tropical Asia.*It is commonly used as an essential oil known as "citronella oil".*Cannot be eaten because of its unpalatable nature....
(Cymbopogon nardus and Cymbopogon winterianus) is similar to the species above but grows to 2 m and has red base stems. These species are used for the production of citronella oil
Citronella oil
Citronella oil is one of the essential oils obtained from the leaves and stems of different species of Cymbopogon. The oil is used extensively as a source of perfumery chemicals such as citronellal, citronellol and geraniol...
, which is used in soaps, as an insect repellent
Insect repellent
An insect repellent is a substance applied to skin, clothing, or other surfaces which discourages insects from landing or climbing on that surface. There are also insect repellent products available based on sound production, particularly ultrasound...
in insect sprays and candles, and also in aromatherapy, which is famous in Bintan Island, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. The principal chemical constituents of citronella, geraniol
Geraniol
Geraniol is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol. It is the primary part of rose oil, palmarosa oil, and citronella oil . It also occurs in small quantities in geranium, lemon, and many other essential oils. It appears as a clear to pale-yellow oil that is insoluble in water, but soluble in most common...
and citronellol
Citronellol
Citronellol, or dihydrogeraniol, is a natural acyclic monoterpenoid. Both enantiomers occur in nature. -Citronellol, which is found in citronella oils, including Cymbopogon nardus , is the more common isomer. -Citronellol is found in the oils of rose and Pelargonium geraniums.Citronellol is...
, are antiseptics, hence their use in household disinfectants and soaps. Besides oil production, citronella grass is also used for culinary purposes, in tea and as a flavoring.
Lemon Grass Oil, used as a pesticide and preservative, is put on the ancient palm-leaf manuscripts found in India as a preservative. It is used at the Oriental Research Institute Mysore
Oriental Research Institute Mysore
The Oriental Research Institute at Mysore, India is a research institute which collects, exhibits, edits and publishes rare manuscripts in both Sanskrit and Kannada. Formerly it was known as the Oriental Library....
, the French Institute of Pondicherry
French Institute of Pondicherry
The French Institute of Pondicherry UMIFRE 21 CNRS-MAEE, is a French financially autonomous institution in India, under the joint supervision of the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the French National Centre for Scientific Research...
, the Association for the Preservation of the Saint Thomas Christian Heritage in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and many other manuscript collections in India. The lemon grass oil also injects natural fluidity into the brittle palm leaves and the hydrophobic nature of the oil keeps the manuscripts dry so that the text is not lost to decay due to humidity.
East-Indian Lemon Grass
Cymbopogon flexuosus
Cymbopogon flexuosus also called Cochin Grass or Malabar Grass Cymbopogon flexuosus also called Cochin Grass or Malabar Grass Cymbopogon flexuosus also called Cochin Grass or Malabar Grass (Malayalam: ഇഞ്ചിപ്പുല്ല്(inchippullu)is a perennial grass native to India, Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand. It...
(Cymbopogon flexuosus), also called Cochin Grass or Malabar Grass (Malayalam: ഇഞ്ചിപ്പുല്ല്(inchippullu), is native to Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Burma,and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
while the West-Indian lemon grass
Cymbopogon citratus
Cymbopogon citratus, commonly known as lemon grass or oil grass, is a tropical plant from Southeast Asia.-Culinary uses:Cymbopogon citratus is abundant in the Philippines where it's known as tanglad...
(Cymbopogon citratus), also known as serai in Malay, is assumed to have its origins in Malaysia. Indonesian people used to called it serai too or sereh. While both can be used interchangeably, C. citratus is more suited for cooking. In India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
C. citratus is used both as a medical herb and in perfumes. Cymbopogon citratus
Cymbopogon citratus
Cymbopogon citratus, commonly known as lemon grass or oil grass, is a tropical plant from Southeast Asia.-Culinary uses:Cymbopogon citratus is abundant in the Philippines where it's known as tanglad...
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
Contact dermatitis is a term for a skin reaction resulting from exposure to allergens or irritants . Phototoxic dermatitis occurs when the allergen or irritant is activated by sunlight....
in one case.
Lemon grass is also known as Gavati Chaha (गवती चहा) in the Marathi language
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
(Gavat=grass; Chaha=tea), and is used as an addition to tea, and in preparations like 'kadha,' which is a traditional herbal 'soup' used against coughs, colds, etc. It has medicinal properties and is used extensively in Ayurvedic medicine
Ayurveda
Ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...
. It is supposed to help with relieving cough and nasal congestion.
In Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, lemon grass is steeped as an herbal tea called "Chukku Kaapi", literally "dried ginger coffee".
Partial species list
- Cymbopogon ambiguusCymbopogon ambiguusCymbopogon ambiguus, or Australian lemon-scented grass, is a member of the lemon-grass family. It has bluish grey leaves and fluffy seed heads. It is self-fertile.-Cultivation:...
Australian lemon-scented grass (native of Australia) - Cymbopogon bombycinus Silky Oilgrass (native of Australia)
- Cymbopogon citratusCymbopogon citratusCymbopogon citratus, commonly known as lemon grass or oil grass, is a tropical plant from Southeast Asia.-Culinary uses:Cymbopogon citratus is abundant in the Philippines where it's known as tanglad...
Lemon Grass - Cymbopogon citriodora West Indian lemon grass
- Cymbopogon flexuosusCymbopogon flexuosusCymbopogon flexuosus also called Cochin Grass or Malabar Grass Cymbopogon flexuosus also called Cochin Grass or Malabar Grass Cymbopogon flexuosus also called Cochin Grass or Malabar Grass (Malayalam: ഇഞ്ചിപ്പുല്ല്(inchippullu)is a perennial grass native to India, Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand. It...
East Indian lemon grass - Cymbopogon martiniiCymbopogon martiniiCymbopogon martinii is a species of grass in the lemon grass genus best known by the common name palmarosa. Other common names include Indian geranium and rosha or rosha grass. This perennial grass is native to southeast Asia, especially India , and it is cultivated for its oil...
Palmarosa - Cymbopogon nardusCymbopogon nardusCymbopogon nardus is a perennial of the Poaceae grass family, originating in tropical Asia.*It is commonly used as an essential oil known as "citronella oil".*Cannot be eaten because of its unpalatable nature....
Citronella Grass (In Thai language ตะไคร้หอม [dTa-Khrai-Hawm] - Cymbopogon obtectus Silky-heads (native of Australia)
- Cymbopogon procerus (native of Australia)
- Cymbopogon proximusCymbopogon proximusCymbopogon proximus is a member of the lemon-grass family....
found in Egypt - Cymbopogon refractus Barbed wire grass (native of Australia)
- Cymbopogon schoenanthus or camel hay or camel grass, southern Asia and northern Africa
- Cymbopogon winterianus Citronella Grass