Poaceae
Cymbopogon

Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle

First published in W.P.Hiern, Cat. Afr. Pl. 2: 155 (1899)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is South Sudan to S. Africa and Indo-China. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used as animal food and a medicine, has environmental uses and for food.

Descriptions

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 1500–2000 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Caldas, Cundinamarca.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm. Culms 75-300 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3-9 mm long. Leaf-blades drooping; flat; 20-60 cm long; 3-15 mm wide; aromatic. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Synflorescence compound; linear; 15-60 cm long; dense. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; enclosed. Spatheole elliptic; 1-2.5 cm long. Racemes 2; paired; deflexed; 1-2 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs 0.5-3 mm long. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip transverse; cupuliform. Raceme-bases flattened; subequal. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; semiterete; ciliate.
Sterile
Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 2 in number (lower raceme); 0 in upper raceme; with normal internodes; sessile and pedicelled. Basal sterile spikelet pedicels free; linear. Basal sterile spikelets equalling fertile. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 3.5-6 mm long; as long as fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; distinctly veined; 3-7 -veined (intercarinal); acute; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; (3-)3.5-7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base obtuse; inserted. Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 2 in number (lower raceme); 0 in upper raceme; with normal internodes; sessile and pedicelled. Basal sterile spikelet pedicels free; linear. Basal sterile spikelets equalling fertile. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 3.5-6 mm long; as long as fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; distinctly veined; 3-7 -veined (intercarinal); acute; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; (3-)3.5-7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base obtuse; inserted.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 2-keeled; keeled all along; keeled laterally; winged on keel; winged above. Lower glume intercarinal veins absent, or obscure; 0-4 in number. Lower glume surface convex, or flat, or concave. Lower glume apex emarginate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret hyaline. Fertile lemma lanceolate; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.5 of lemma length; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 5-15 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3.
Distribution
Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, and Malesia. Pacific: southwestern and northwestern. South America: Caribbean and northern South America.
Reference
Andropogoneae. FTEA.
Diagnostic
Leaf-blades drooping for one third their length.
[GB]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 1500 - 2000 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
[CPLC]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
citronela, limoncillo
[UNAL]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible

    • ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
    • https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0