Interesting Facts
Common Names
Click on the language to view common names.
Common Names in Arabic:
Hashisha Al-Limun, حَشِيشَة اللَيْمُون, حشيشة الليمون
Common Names in Burmese:
Sabalin, Zabalin
Common Names in Chinese:
Ning Meng Cao, Xiang Mao, Xiang Mao Cao
Common Names in Croatian:
Vlaska
Common Names in Czech:
Citrónová Tráva
Common Names in Danish:
Citrongræs
Common Names in Dutch:
Citroengras, Kamelhewe, Sereh
Common Names in English:
Citronella, Citronella Grass, Lemon Grass, Lemongrass, Oil Grass, Squinant, West Indian Lemon Grass, West Indian Lemongrass
Common Names in Esperanto:
Citronelo
Common Names in Estonian:
Harilik Sidrunhein
Common Names in Finnish:
Sitruunaruoho
Common Names in French:
Citronnelle, Herbe Citron, Verveine Des Indes
Common Names in Galician:
Herba De Limón
Common Names in German:
Citronella, Lemongras, Zitronengras
Common Names in Greek, Modern (1453):
Λεμονόχορτο, Lemonóchorto, Lemonochorto
Common Names in Hebrew:
Essef Limon, Limon Gras, Limonit Rehanit, לימון גראס, לימונית ריחנית, עשב לימון
Common Names in Hindi:
गंधातरन्, Gandhatrn, Khawi, Sera, Verveine
Common Names in Hungarian:
Citromfű, Citronella
Common Names in Icelandic:
Sítrónugras
Common Names in Indonesian:
Sereh
Common Names in Italian:
Cimbopogone
Common Names in Japanese:
レモングラス, レモンソウ, Remonguraso, Remonso
Common Names in Japanese Translitera:
Re-Mo-N-Gu-Ra-Su, Re-Mo-N-So-U
Common Names in Kannada:
ಮಜ್ಜಿಗೆ ಹುಲ್ಲು, Majjige Hullu, Majjigĕ Hullu
Common Names in Khmer:
Bai Mak Nao, Kuel Skey, Slek Krey Sabou
Common Names in Korean:
레몬그라스, Re-Mon-Geu-Ra-Seu, Remon-Gurasu
Common Names in Lao:
Si Khai, Sing Khai
Common Names in Lithuanian:
Tikroji Citrinžolė
Common Names in Malay:
Serai, Serai Dapur, Serai Makan, Sereh (Indonesia), Sereh Makan (Indonesia)
Common Names in Nepalese:
Pirhe Ghaans
Common Names in Polish:
Palczatka Cytrynowa
Common Names in Portuguese:
Cana-Cidreira, Cana-Limão, Capim-Cidró, Capim-Cidrão, Capim-Santo, Erva-Cidreira, Erva-Príncipe, Patchuli-Falso
Common Names in Romanian:
Iarbă De Limon
Common Names in Russian:
Лимонная трава, Лимонное сорго, Limmonaya Trava, Limonnaâ Trava, Limonnoe Sorgo
Common Names in Sinhalese:
Sera
Common Names in Slovak:
Citrónová Tráva, Vôňovec
Common Names in Slovenian:
Limonska Trava
Common Names in Spanish:
Caña De Limón, Citronella, Hierba De Limón, Limonaria (Argentina), Malojillo, Pasto Cedrón (Argentina), Pasto Limón, Pasto-Limón (Argentina), Sontol, Te De Limón, Te De Limon (Honduras), Zacate De Limón, Zacate Dete, Zacate Limón, Zacate-Dete, Zacate-Limón (El Salvador)
Common Names in Swedish:
Citrongräs, Citrongräs
Common Names in Tagalog:
Salai, Tanglad
Common Names in Tamil:
கர்ப்பூரப்புல், போதைப்புல், Karppurappul, Karppūrappul, Potaippul, Vasanapillu
Common Names in Telugu:
కామంచి కసు, Kamanchi Kasu, Kāmañci Kasu
Common Names in Thai:
? Cha Khrai ?, ? Ta Krai ?, ? Takrai Hom ?, จะไคร, ตะไคร้, ตะไคร้หอม, Cha Khrai, Soet Kroei, Ta Khrai, Ta Krai, Takrai Hom
Common Names in Turkish:
Limon Otu
Common Names in Vietnamese:
Sà
Description
Family Poaceae
Annual
or perennial
herbs, or tall woody bamboos
. Flowering stems (culms
) jointed
, internodes hollow or solid; branches arising singly from nodes and subtended by a leaf sheath
and 2-keeled prophyll, often fascicled in bamboos. Leaves arranged alternately in 2 ranks
, differentiated into sheath, blade
, and an adaxial
erect
appendage
at sheath/blade junction (ligule) ; leaf sheath surrounding and supporting culm-internode, split to base
or infrequently tubular
with partially or completely fused margins
, modified with reduced blade in bamboos (culm sheaths) ; leaf blades divergent, usually long, narrow and flat, but varying from inrolled
and filiform
to ovate
, veins parallel, sometimes with cross-connecting veinlets
(especially in bamboos) ; ligule membranous or a line
of hairs
. Inflorescence terminal
or axillary
, an open, contracted
, or spikelike panicle, or composed of lax
to spikelike racemes
arranged along an elongate
central axis, or digitate, paired
, or occasionally solitary; axillary inflorescences often many, subtended by spatheoles
(specialized bladeless leaf sheaths) and gathered into a leafy compound
panicle; spikelets
often aggregated into complex
clusters
in bamboos. Spikelets composed of distichous bracts arranged along a slender axis (rachilla) ; typically 2 lowest bracts (glumes
) empty, subtending
1 to many florets
; glumes often poorly differentiated from accompanying bracts in bamboos. Florets composed of 2 opposing bracts enclosing a single small flower, outer bract (lemma) clasping
the more delicate, usually 2-keeled inner bract (palea) ; base of floret often with thickened prolongation articulated with rachilla (callus) ; lemma often with apical or dorsal bristle
(awn
), glumes also sometimes awned
. Flowers bisexual
or unisexual
; lodicules (small scales
representing perianth) 2, rarely 3 or absent, 3 to many in bamboos, hyaline
or fleshy
; stamens 3 rarely 1, 2, 6, or more in some bamboos, hypogynous, filaments
capillary
, anthers
versatile; ovary 1-celled, styles (1 or) 2(rarely 3), free
or united
at base, topped by feathery stigmas, exserted from sides or apex of floret. Fruit normally a dry indehiscent caryopsis with thin pericarp firmly adherent
to seed, pericarp rarely free, fleshy in some bamboos; embryo small or large; hilum
punctate
to linear
.
About 700 genera and 11,000 species: widely distributed in all regions of the world.[1]
Physical Description
Species Cymbopogon citratus
Perennial , shortly rhizomatous . Culms tufted , robust , up to 2 m tall, ca. 4 mm in diam., farinose below nodes. Leaf sheaths glabrous , greenish inside; leaf blades glaucous, 30-90 × 0.5-2 cm, both surfaces scabrid , base gradually narrowed, apex long acuminate; ligule ca. 1 mm. Spathate compound panicle large, lax , up to 50 cm, drooping , branches slender; spatheoles reddish or yellowish brown, 1.5-2 cm; racemes 1.5-2 cm; rachis internodes and pedicels 2.5-4 mm, loosely villous on margins ; pedicel of homogamous pair not swollen. Sessile spikelet linear-lanceolate, 5-6 × ca. 0.7 mm; lower glume flat or slightly concave toward base, sharply 2-keeled, keels wingless, scabrid, veinless between keels; upper lemma narrow, entire and awnless, or slightly 2-lobed with ca. 0.2 mm mucro . Pedicelled spikelet 4-5 mm. Fl. and fr. summer. 2n = 40. [source]
Flowers: Bloom Period: n/a • Flower Color: inconspicuous, none
Size/Age/Growth
Size: 4-6' tall.
Habitat
Commonly cultivated[2].
Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 4,653 meters (0 to 15,266 feet).[3]
Biology
Growth
Culture: Space 24-36" apart.
Soil: Minimum pH: 5.1 • Maximum pH: 8.5
Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full Sun .
Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11. (map)
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Plantae
()
- Haeckel, 1866
- Plants
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
()
- Cavalier-Smith, 1981
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
()
- Sinnott, 1935 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Vascular Plants
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
()
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
()
- Kenrick & Crane, 1997
- Class:
Liliopsida
()
- Scopoli, 1760
- Subclass:
Commelinidae
()
- Takhtajan, 1967
- Superorder:
Poanae
()
- (Small, 1903) Takhtajan, 1997 Ex Reveal & Doweld, 1999
- Order:
Poales
()
- Small, 1903
- Family:
Poaceae
()
- (R. Brown) Barnhart, 1895
- Grass Family
- Subfamily:
Panicoideae
()
- Tribe:
Andropogoneae
()
- Genus:
Cymbopogon
()
- Linnaeus, 1753
- Specific epithet:
citratus
- (DC. ex Nees) Stapf
- Botanical name: - Cymbopogon citratus (DC. ex Nees) Stapf
- Specific epithet:
citratus
- (DC. ex Nees) Stapf
- Genus:
Cymbopogon
(
- Tribe:
Andropogoneae
(
- Subfamily:
Panicoideae
(
- Family:
Poaceae
(
- Order:
Poales
(
- Superorder:
Poanae
(
- Subclass:
Commelinidae
(
- Class:
Liliopsida
(
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
(
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
(
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
(
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
(
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
Unambiguous Synonyms
- Andropogon chrysocomus Nash
- Andropogon citratus Candolle, Cat. Pl. Horti Monsp. 78. 1813.
- Andropogon furcatus Muhl. Ex Willd.
- Andropogon gerardii var. chrysocomus (Nash) Fern.
- Andropogon provincialis Lam.
- Cymbopogon citratus /i> (Dc. Ex Nees) Stapf
- Cymbopogon citratus /i> (Dc.) Stapf, 1906
Notes
Name
Status: Accepted Name
. Latest taxonomic
scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000
Place of publication
: Bull
. Misc. Inform. Kew 1906:357. 1906
Name verified on 08-Feb-2006 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 08-Feb-2006
Similar Species
Members of the genus Cymbopogon
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 163 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:
C. acutispathaceus · C. afronardus · C. ambiguus · C. andongensis · C. angustispica · C. annamensis · C. arabicus · C. arriani · C. arundinaceus · C. bagirmicus · C. bassacensis · C. bequaertii · C. bhutanicus · C. bombycinus · C. bombycinus var. townsvillensis · C. bracteatus · C. caesius · C. caesius subsp. giganteus · C. calcicola · C. calciphilus · C. cambogiensis · C. chevalieri · C. chrysargyreus · C. circinnatus · C. citratus (West Indian Lemon Grass) · C. citriodorus · C. claessensii · C. clandestinus · C. coloratus · C. commutatus · C. condensatus · C. confertiflorus · C. connatus · C. cyanescens · C. cymbarius · C. cytratus · C. densiflorus · C. dependens · C. dieterlenii · C. diplandrus · C. distans · C. divaricatus · C. eberhardtii · C. effusus · C. elegans · C. exaltatus (Australian Lemongrass) · C. exaltatus var. lanatus · C. exarmatus · C. excavatus · C. familiaris · C. figarianus · C. filipendulus (Hyparrhenia) · C. finitimus · C. flexuosis · C. flexuosus (East Indian Lemon Grass) · C. floccosus · C. foliosus · C. gazensis · C. gidarba · C. giganteus · C. glandulosus · C. glaucus · C. globosus · C. goeringii · C. goeringii var. hongkongensis · C. gratus · C. hamatulus · C. hirtus · C. hirtus subsp. villosum · C. hookeri · C. humboldtii · C. iwarancusa · C. jinshaensis · C. jwarancusa (Iwarancusa Grass) · C. jwarancusa subsp. olivieri · C. kapandensis · C. khasianus · C. ladakhensis · C. lanatus · C. laniger · C. lecomtei · C. lepidus · C. liangshanensis · C. lividus · C. luembensis · C. marginatus · C. martini · C. martinianus · C. martinii (Indian Geranium) · C. martini var. motia · C. mekongensis · C. melanocarpus · C. micratherus · C. microstachys · C. microthecus · C. minor · C. minutiflorus · C. modicus · C. motia · C. munroi
More Info
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Further Reading
- Agricultural news. Bridgetown, Barbados, Bowen & sons;1902-22. ENG url p. 419.
- Anglo-russkii biologicheskii slovar' / [avtory, I. N. Afanas'eva et al.; spetsial'nye nauch. redaktory, O. I. Chibisova i L. A. Koziar]. Moskva: Russkii iazyk, 1979. ENG url p. 359.
- Anjaria, J. V. in G. E. Wickens et al. 1989. Herbal Drugs: Potential for industry and cash. In: Wickens, G. E. et al., eds., New crops for food and industry. (New Crops Food Ind) 90.
- Bor, N. L. 1960. The grasses of Burma, Ceylon, India, and Pakistan. (Grass BCIP) [lists as C. citratus (DC.) Stapf].
- Botanisches Zentralblatt; referierendes Organ fr das Gesamtgebiet der Botanik. Jena [etc.]G. Fischer [etc.] GER url p. 102, p. 590, p. 78.
- Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). London: The Museum, 1951-1992. ENG url p. 118, p. 217, p. 281, p. 401.
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India. 1948–1976. The wealth of India: a dictionary of Indian raw materials and industrial products. Raw materials. Delhi. (Wealth India RM) 2:412–414.
- Craker, L. E. & J. E. Simon, eds. 1986–1987. Herbs, spices, and medicinal plants, 2 vols. (HerbSpices)
- Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980–. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon. (F Ceylon) 8:130. [lists as C. citratus (DC.) Stapf].
- Die Rohstoffe des Pflanzenreichs: versuch einer Technischen Rohstofflehre des Pflanzenreiches / Unter Mitwirkung von Max Bemberger, von Julius von Wiesner. Leipzig: W. Engelmann, 1914. GER url p. 495, p. 964.
- Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs. (CRC MedHerbs ed2)
- Experiment station record. Washington: G.P.O., 1889-1946. ENG url p. 192, p. 538, p. 940.
- FNA Editorial Committee. 1993–. Flora of North America. (F NAmer)
- Family #15, Gramineae / Richard W. Pohl. [Chicago]: Field Museum of Natural History, 1980. ENG url p. 158, p. 21, p. 599.
- Flora of Costa Rica by Paul C. Standley Chicago, 1937. ENG url p. 74.
- Flora of Guatemala: part II: grasses of Guatemala / Jason R. Swallen; Bamboos / F.A. McClure. Chicago, Ill.: Chicago Natural History Museum, 1955. ENG url p. 97.
- Flora of Peru... by J. Francis Macbride. Chicago, 1936- ENG url p. 254.
- Flora of the Lancetilla Valley, Honduras, by Paul C. Standley. Chicago, Field Museum of Natural History, 1931. ENG url p. 37, p. 89.
- Grasses of the West Indies. By A. S. Hitchcock and Agnes Chase. Washington, Govt. Print. Off., 1917. ENG url p. 285, p. 406, p. 409, p. 431, p. 433, p. 459, p. 462, p. 463, p. 464.
- International catalogue of scientific literature. London: Published for the International Council by the Royal Society of London, 1902-1919. ENG url p. 524.
- Inventory of seeds and plants imported / U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry. Washington, D.C.: G.P.O., 1914-1924. ENG url p. 49.
- Jahresbericht ber das Gebiet der Pflanzenkrankheiten. Berlin: P. Parey, 1907-1917. GER url p. 35, p. 377.
- Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences. Washington [etc., Washington Academy of Sciences] ENG url p. 356.
- Just's botanischer jahresbericht. Systematisch geordnetes repertorium der botanischen literatur aller lnder. Berlin, Gebr. Borntraeger, 1874-98; GER url p. 1100, p. 1101, p. 1405, p. 980.
- L'Agricoltura coloniale. Firenze, Istituto agronomico per l'Africa italiana [etc.] ITA url p. 366.
- Lazarides, M. 1980. The tropical grasses of Southeast Asia. (Grass SEAs) [lists as C. citratus (DC.) Stapf].
- Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. (Hortus 3) [lists as C. citratus (DC. ex Nees) Stapf].
- Manual of the grasses of the United States / by A.S. Hitchcock. Washington: U.S. G.P.O., 1935. ENG url p. 3, p. 746, p. 830.
- Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2. (Food Feed Crops US)
- McGuffin, M. et al., eds. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2. (Herbs Commerce ed2)
- Missouri Botanical Garden. W³Tropicos - on-line resource. (TROPICOS) [lists as C. citratus (DC.) Stapf].
- Oyen, L. P. A. & Nguyen Xuan Dung, eds. 1999. Essential-oil plants. Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA). (Pl Res SEAs) 19:95–98. [lists as C. citratus (DC.) Stapf].
- Rehm, S. & G. Espig. 1991. The cultivated plants of the tropics and subtropics. (CultTropS)
- Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants. (Dict Rehm) [lists as C. citratus (DC.) Stapf].
- Scientific survey of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands / New York Academy of Sciences. New York, N.Y.: The Academy, 1919- url p. 28, p. 331.
- The Journal of the Board of Commissioners of Agriculture. San Juan: [Board of Commissioners of Agriculture, 1917]. ENG url p. 187, p. 231.
- The forests and flora of British Honduras / by Paul C. Standley and Samuel J. Record; in cooperation with the Conservator of Forests and the Agricultural Officer of the Colony. Chicago: [Field Museum of Natural History], 1936. ENG url p. 69.
- Uphof, J. C. T. 1968. Dictionary of economic plants, ed. 2. (Dict Econ Pl) 167. [lists as C. citratus (DC.) Stapf].
- Useful plants of the Siona and Secoya Indians of eastern Ecuador / William T. Vickers, Timothy Plowman. Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, 1984. ENG url p. 14, p. 62.
- Chen Shouliang, Jin Yuexing, Zhuang Tide, Fang Wenzhe, Sheng Guoying, Liu Liang, Wu Zhenlan, Lu Shenglian, Sun Bisin, Hu Zhihao, Wang Song, Sun Xiangzhong, Wang Huiqin, Yang Xilin, Wang Chaopin, Li Binggui & Wen Shaobin. 1990. Gramineae (Poaceae) (4). In: Chen Shouliang, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 10(1):1401
- Chen Shouliang, Zhuang Tide, Fang Wenzhe, Sheng Guoying, Jin Yuexing, Liu Liang, Sun Bisin, Hu Zhihao & Wang Song. 1997. Gramineae (Poaceae) (5). In: Chen Shouliang, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 10(2): 1301
- Liu Liang, Zhu Taiping, Chen Wenli, Wu Zhenlan & Lu Shenglian. Gramineae (Poaceae) (2). In: Liu Liang, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 9(2): 1405
- Lu Sheng-lian, Sun Yong-hua, Liu Shang-wu, Yang Yong-chang, Wu Zhen-lan, Kuo Pen-chao, Yang Hsi-ling, Wang Chao-pin & Tsui Nai-ran. 1987. Gramineae (3). In: Kuo Pen-chao, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 9(3): 1329
- Wang Zhengping, Ye Guanghan, Yang Yaling, Yu Zehua, Hu Chenhua, Geng Bojie, Feng Xuelin, Jia Liangzhi, Xia Nianhe, Li Dezhu, Zhang Weiping, Xue Jiru, Zhu Zhengde, Zhao Qiseng, Chen Shouliang, Sheng Guoying, Chen Shaoyun, Yao Changyu, Lu Jionglin, Sun Jiliang, Lin Wantao, Yi Tongpei, Zhao Huiru, Wen Taihui & Dai Qihui. 1996. Gramineae (Poaceae) (1).
Notes
Contributors
- Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
- "Cymbopogon citratus". in Flora of China Vol. 22 Page 624, 627. Published by Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed November 21, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 18 providers.
- USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (April 25, 2008)
Data Sources
Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 21, 2007:
- Australian National Herbarium
- , Australian National Herbarium
- Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Bishop Museum Natural History Specimen Data
- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Virtual Herbarium Darwin Core format
- Herbarium of the University of Aarhus, The AAU Herbarium Database
- Herbier de la Guyane, Herbier de la Guyane
- Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden
- National Herbarium of New South Wales, Plants of Papua New Guinea
- The Danish Biodiversity Information Facility, Galapagos grasses and sedges
- University of Alabama Biodiversity and Systematics, Herbarium
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2661595
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-41613
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13754061
- Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:396896-1
- GRIN Nomen Number: 12797
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 41613
- U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: ANCI4
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 21077
Footnotes
- Shou-liang Chen, De-Zhu Li, Guanghua Zhu, Zhenlan Wu, Sheng-lian Lu, Liang Liu, Zheng-ping Wang, Bi-xing Sun, Zheng-de Zhu, Nianhe Xia, Liang-zhi Jia, Zhenhua Guo, Wenli Chen, Xiang Chen, Yang Guangyao, Sylvia M. Phillips, Chris Stapleton, Robert J. Soreng, Susan G. Aiken, Nikolai N. Tzvelev, Paul M. Peterson, Stephen A. Renvoize, Marina V. Olonova & Klaus Ammann "Poaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 22. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
- "Cymbopogon citratus". in Flora of China Vol. 22 Page 624, 627. Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
- Mean = 1,091.070 meters (3,579.626 feet), Standard Deviation = 1,644.350 based on 180 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
