Lemongrass

Lemongrass
	East Indian lemongrass ( Cymbopogon flexuosus )
Systematics
	Monocots
	Commelinids
Order :	Sweet grass (Poales)
Family :	Sweet grasses (Poaceae)
Subfamily :	Panicoideae
Genre :	Lemongrass
Scientific name
	Cymbopogon
	Blast

The lemongrass ( Cymbopogon ) are a genus within the family of the sweet grasses (Poaceae). The 55 to 70 species come from the tropical and subtropical regions, especially Asia, but also Africa and Australia (ten species).

description

They are mostly perennial, rarely annual, herbaceous plants that reach heights of 15 to 300 cm depending on the species. They form dense clumps . Some species form rhizomes . Their mostly coarse, simple leaves develop an aromatic scent.

The flowers are threefold. There are only three stamens . The stylus are free.

Systematics

The botanical generic name Cymbopogon is derived from the Greek words kumbe for boat, due to the boat-shaped husks and pogon for beard, this refers to the many-flowered ears that are reminiscent of a thick beard.

The genus Cymbopogon belongs to the tribe Andropogoneae in the subfamily Panicoideae within the family Poaceae .

Cymbopogon giganteus

Cymbopogon refractus

Species and their home

There are 55 to 70 species of Cymbopogon . Here is a selection:

Cymbopogon ambiguus (Hack.) A.Camus : The home is Indonesia to Australia.
Cymbopogon bombycinus (R.Br.) Domin : Home is Australia.
West Indian lemongrass ( Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf ): It is native to southern India and Sri Lanka.
Cymbopogon densiflorus (Steud.) Stapf : The home is the western, central and southern tropical Africa to Tanzania.
East Indian lemongrass ( Cymbopogon flexuosus (Nees ex Steudel) JFWatson ): The home is India to Indochina.
Cymbopogon giganteus Chiov. : The home is tropical Africa to Botswana and Madagascar.
Palmarosa oil ( Cymbopogon martini (Roxb.) Will.Watson ), native to India to Indochina, also grown on Jawa, supplies the palmarosa oil .
Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle : Home is Sudan to southern Africa and Indochina.
Cymbopogon obtectus S.T.Blake : Home is Australia.
Cymbopogon procerus (R.Br.) Domin : Home is from Malesia to Australia.
Cymbopogon refractus (R.Br.) A.Camus : It is native to northern and eastern Australia with the Norfolk Island .
Camelgrass ( Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.) Spreng. , Syn .: Cymbopogon citriodorus Link ; incl. Cymbopogon proximus (Hochst. Ex A.Rich.) Chiov. ): The home is Africa and Arabia up to Iran.
Citronella grass ( Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt ex Bor ) (Citronella grass, Melissa indicum): The homeland is western Malesia.

use

Many types of Cymbopogon are used to extract the essential oils they contain, especially citronellol and geraniol . The use as spices and medicinal plants, as well as insect repellent is also related to essential oils. A well-known species from the genus is lemongrass ( Cymbopogon citratus ). Citronella ( Cymbopogon winterianus ) has very similar properties.

swell

Shou-liang Chen & Sylvia M. Phillips: Cymbopogon , p. 627 - online with the same text as the printed work , In: Wu Zheng-yi, Peter H. Raven & Deyuan Hong (eds.): Flora of China , Volume 22 - Poaceae , Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing and St. Louis 2006. ISBN 1-930723-50-4 (Description section)
The world's grass types at DELTA. (Section description)

Individual evidence

↑ Shou-liang Chen & Sylvia M. Phillips: Cymbopogon citratus , p. 627 - the same text online as the printed work , In: Wu Zheng-yi, Peter H. Raven & Deyuan Hong (eds.): Flora of China , Volume 22 - Poaceae , Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing and St. Louis 2006, ISBN 1-930723-50-4 .
^ Cymbopogon in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), USDA , ARS , National Genetic Resources Program. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l Rafaël Govaerts (Ed.): Cymbopogon. In: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP) - The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved December 17, 2014.
↑ Some information on the genus as part of information on the most important species. (German)

Web links

Commons : Lemongrass ( Cymbopogon ) - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Description in the Flora of Zimbabwe . (engl.)
Description in the Flora of New South Wales . (engl.)

[FoC-1] Shou-liang Chen & Sylvia M. Phillips: Cymbopogon citratus , p. 627 - the same text online as the printed work , In: Wu Zheng-yi, Peter H. Raven & Deyuan Hong (eds.): Flora of China , Volume 22 - Poaceae , Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing and St. Louis 2006, ISBN 1-930723-50-4 .

[GRIN-2] Cymbopogon in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), USDA , ARS , National Genetic Resources Program. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.

[WCSP-3] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l Rafaël Govaerts (Ed.): Cymbopogon. In: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP) - The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved December 17, 2014.

[GernotKatzers-4] Some information on the genus as part of information on the most important species. (German)