male, cuneate, fleshy. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2, terminally exserted, papillose. Caryopsis with adherent pericarp, orbicular.
Notes
Found in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and America. Weed, naturalized, used as a fiber plant by Aborigines of Australia, fodder or poor fodder for cattle, the green
material is very palatable, the seed is enclosed in a hard shell that has to be broken by pounding or rough grinding, utricles used as beads, grass widely cultivated and
naturalized in tropics, in India seeds eaten by the Bhil people, seeds either mixed with Panicum colonum L. or Zea mays L. and made into bread or prepared like rice,
beverage base, a coffe is made from the roasted seed, seeds used to make tea in Japan, roots used in the treatment of menstrual disorders, fruits are antipyretic, antiseptic and
antispasmodic. Distribution at Sulawesi
North: Minahasa, Sonder, Alt. 550 m; Langowan, Alt. 600 m. Central: area of Wayungan near Palu, Alt. 800 m, 0
53’ S 119 53’ E. South: Mt. Bonthain, Alt. 1100
m Alt. 1500 m; Lombasang, Alt. 1500 m; Kp. Biroso, Lombasang, Alt. 850 m. Habitat
Usually growing along forest edge, hot and damp area, moist conditions, near streams, along water courses, swampy places, ditches, or drier disturbed ground, hill
forest. Specimen examined
Posthumus 2705 BO; Vuuren Rachmat 958 BO; Bunnemeijer 12124, 11324, 11666 BO; Koorders 17237
β BO; Meijer 10224 BO; Manitik 014 WALL.
22. CYMBOPOGON Sprengel
. Type: Cymbopogon schoenanthus L. Sprengel. Pl. Min. Cogn. Pug. 2: 14. 1815.
Cymbanthelia Andersson. Nova Acta Regiae Soc. Sci. Upsal. 2: 254. 1856. Gymnanthelia Andersson. Beitr. Fl. Aethiop. 1867; Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:
167-169. 2003.
From the Greek kymbe “a boat” and pogon “a beard”, referring to the many- awned spikelets and boat-shaped spathes or to the glumes.
About 40 species, Africa, Asia, Australasia, Pasific, and America. Plants perennial, robust, tussocky, tall, aromatic, herbaceous, densely tufted, unbranched.
Internodes solid. Auricle absent. Ligule membraneous and fringed or not or scarious. Blades linear to lanceolate. Plants bisexual. Inflorescence spatheate and spatheolate,
large panicles compound and multi-branched; racemes short and long peduncled; at the tip of each branch 2 small racemes, racemes paired and enclosed in a reddish
sphateole. Spikelets paired and dissimilar; sessile spikelet dorsally compressed and
pedicelled spikelet never concave on the back; sessile spikelets awned and with 1 fertile floret above a sterile floret. Glume 2, more or less equal. Lower glume flat or
concave and laterally 2-keeled. Upper lemma 2-lobed or bifid pedicellate spikelets awnless and sterile. Palea absent. Lodicule 2, free and fleshy. Stamen 3. Ovary
glabrous. Stigma 2. Usually grazed when young, several species provide seed for small birds,
ornamental for foliage and for the inflorescence, under certain conditions several species could develop toxic properties, aromatic oils used in medicine and as a
flavouring agents, highly flammable, diverse uses in food, in perfumery and pharmaceutical industry and as a natural precursor of semisynthetic vitamin A,
essential oils from different species of the genus Cymbopogon are known for their antimicrobial activity, may be harmful if ingested in quantity. Drought-resistant,
occurs from mountains and grasslands to arid zones, dry soils, savannah, rainforest, open habitats.
Key to the Species
1.a. Sheaths slightly flattened; ligule a fringed membrane; fertile spikelet linear, 5 mm long; principal lemma awn dorsally compressed ………………………...
…………………………………………………...22.1. Cymbopogon citratus b. Sheath not flattened; ligule an eciliate membrane; fertile spikelet lanceolate, less
than 5 mm long; principal lemma awn from sinus ……………………...2 2.a. Blades aromatic ………………………………………………………………3
b. Blades not aromatic ………………………………………………………….4 3.a. Lower glume with intercarinal nerves distinct, 3-4 in number ……………….
.................................................................................22.2. Cymbopogon tortilis b. Lower glume with intercarinal nerves distinct, 2 in number ………………….
……………………………………………...22.4. Cymbopogon minutiflorus 4.a. Rachis internodes 1.5 mm long; pedicel 2 mm long; principal lemma awn 10 mm
long ………………………………………22.3. Cymbopogon flexuosus
b. rachis internodes 2.5 mm long; pedicel 2.5 mm long; principal lemma awn 22
mm long ……………………………………….22. 5. Cymbopogon procerus 22.1.
Cymbopogon citratus DC. Stapf. Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1906: 322, 357.
1906. Andropogon ceriferus Hack., Fl. Bras. 24: 281. 1883.
Andropogon citratus DC. ex Nees. Allg. Gartenzeitung 3: 267. 1835. Andropogon citriodorum Hort. ex Desf. Tabl. Ecole Bot. ed.2 15. 1815.
Plants perennial, caespitose, rhizomatous. Culms 70-190 cm long, slender to robust, densely clumped, bushy. Sheaths slightly flattened, more or less waxy. Ligule
a fringed membrane. Blades 10-80 cm by 8-19 mm, tapering towards sheath, aromatic. Inflorescence: synflorescence compound, paniculate, 25-55 cm long, open;
inflorescence composed of racemes, terminal and axillary, subtended by a spatheole, enclosed. Racemes 2, 1-2 cm long. Rachis fragile at the nodes, semiterete, villous on
margins, hairs 2-3 mm long, internodes linear, internode tip transverse, cupuliform, bases flattend, subequal. Spikelets in pairs: fertile spikelets sessile, 1 in the cluster;
companion sterile spikelets pedicelled, 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear, semiterete, villous, with 2-3 mm long hairs. Fertile spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets, 1
fertile florets, without rachilla extension, linear, dorsally compressed, 5 mm long, falling entire, callus pilose, base obtuse, inserted. Sterile spikelets: basal sterile
spikelets well-developed, 2 in number lower raceme, 0 in upper raceme, sessile and pedicelled; pedicels free, linear; basal sterile spikelets equalling fertile. Companion
sterile spikelets well-developed, male, elliptic, 4 mm long, shorter than fertile, deciduous with the fertile; glumes chartaceous, acute, muticuous, lemmas 2, enclosed
by glumes. Glumes dissimilar, exceeding apex of florets, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume as long as spikelets, lanceolate, 2-keeled laterally, wingless, intercarinal
nerves absent, surface flat, apex emarginate. Upper glume lanceolate, 1-keeled, apex acute. Florets: basal sterile florets barren, without significant palea; lemma hyaline;
fertile lemma lanceolate, hyaline, without keel, lemma apex entire, or dentate, bifid, muticuous, or mucronate, 1-awned. Palea absent or minute. Anthers 3.
Notes
Found in North Africa, China, Eastern Asia, India, Indo-China, Malesia, Australia, Mexico, and South America. Propagation is by root or plant division, plants
rarely flower or set seed, essential oil, culinary herb, stem and leaves are used for cooking, the lemon-scented foliage used as a flavouring and a masking fragrance, used
in herbal teas and in the preparation of a highly spiced sherbet, scent for soaps and creams, reported to have antimicrobial activity, condidered a carminative and insect
repellent, used against coughing, muscular aches and pains, insufficient milk in breast feeding mothers, headache, oil acts as a central nervous system depressant, lemongrass
oil is obtained by steam distillation of partially wilted leaves, commonly cultivated and wild.
Distribution at Sulawesi
North: Minahasa, Batu Angus.
Habitat
Grows well in sandy soils with adequate drainage, semideserts, savannah, in clearings, sunny warm and humid conditions.
Specimen examined
Alston 16001 BO.
22.2. Cymbopogon tortilis J. Presl. A. Camus. Rev. Bot. Appl. Agric. Colon.
