Greek cymbos – hollow, referring to the spathes, pogon – beard.
Mostly tufted aromatic perennials. Leaves rolled in bud. Ligule membranous, sometimes fringed. Inflorescence compound, paniculate, much branched and with inflated, often reddish, spathe-like bracts each subtending 2 spike-like racemes. Spikelets in unequal pairs along the racemes, one stalked, awnless and male, the other stalkless and bisexual, usually awned; summer. Glumes with lower 2-keeled, flattened, 1-5 nerved, upper glume 1-5 nerved. Lemmas hyaline 2 lobed, awnless. Palea absent.
Generally grown for use in cooking, the fresh leaves and their bases chopped up and used to flavour Asian dishes. A number of different species might be available under the common name Lemon Grass including: C. citratus Stapf, C. nardus Rendle and the native Lemon Grass C. ambiguus A. Camus.
Division and seed.
Many species contain essential oils used mostly in the tropics for medicine, perfumery and as food flavourings. Important species include: C. citratus, Lemon Grass used mostly in Asian cooking; and as sources of oils for perfumes there are: C. flexuosus (Malabar oil for perfume), C. martinii, Ginger Grass (geranium oil), C. nardus (citronella oil used as insect repellent), C. schoenanthus (medicinal uses and scented oil), and C. winterianus (scent).
Inflorescences in paired racemes generally subtended by reddish spathe-like bracts; leaves often lemon scented.
About 40 species from warm regions, mostly warm regions of the Old World, Africa, Asia and Australia. Australia has 9 native species.
Soenarko (1977).
Source: (2005). Poaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.
