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Cymbopogon martini
Also called Ginger Grass, Motia Grass, Rusa Grass, Sofia Grass
Palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii) is a tall, aromatic perennial grass from India and Indochina, grown commercially for its rose-scented essential oil. It needs warm, sunny conditions and plenty of moisture while establishing.
Cymbopogon martinii is a species of grass in the genus Cymbopogon (lemongrasses) native to India and Indochina but widely cultivated in many places for its aromatic oil. It is best known by the common name palmarosa (palm rose) as it smells sweet and rose-like. Other common names include Indian geranium, gingergrass, rosha, and rosha grass.
C. martinii grows fairly tall, ranging from 1.3 to 3 m (4 ft 3 in to 9 ft 10 in) in height with a pale green color and a strong thin stem. This crop grows slowly, taking three months to flower; once it has flowered, it can be harvested. It received the name palmarosa from the sweet-smelling floral rose aroma it gives off.
Palmarosa grows in the wild in certain wetlands of India and Nepal. Palmarosa oil is extracted from the stem of the grass by distillation of dried leaves. Once the stems and leaves have been distilled for two to three hours, to separate the oil from the palmarosa plant matter, then the leftover grass residue is turned into manure or composted.
The essential oil of this plant, which contains the chemical compound geraniol, is valued for its scent and for traditional medicinal and household uses. Palmarosa oil may be an effective insect repellent when applied to stored grain and beans, an antihelmintic against nematodes, and an antifungal and mosquito repellent. Palmarosa oil, which has a scent similar to that of roses, is added to soaps and cosmetics.
Citronella Grass · Lemon grass · Citronella grass · Cymbopogon grass · Lemon grass
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cymbopogon martinii by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
