Cymbopogon citratus

Botanical Description

Cymbopogon citratus is an aromatic, evergreen, densely clump-forming, perennial grass producing numerous stiff stems arising from a short rhizomatous rootstock, and growing around 1.5 metres tall[ 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. ]. Lemon grass is a pleasantly aromatic plant that is widely cultivated in the tropics, both on a commercial scale and in gardens, and especially in southeast Asia. It is used as a food flavouring, especially for Asian cuisine; as a medicinal herb; the source of an essential oil; and as a soil improver and stabilizer[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ]. It is also an excellent restorer of worn ou soils and is grown as an ornamental in gardens, where it can be used to form a small hedge.