The name of this taxon is spelled Cymbopogon jwarancusa in many publications. However, Schultes published this as "Cymbopogon iwarancusa", although Jones originally spelled it as "Jwarancusa", he did not accept the name so it is invalid there; Roxburgh validated it in 1820 as Andropogon iwarancusa.

Common Name:

General Information

Cymbopogon iwarancusa is an evergreen, clump-forming grass with short rhizomes; it produces erect to ascending, densely tufted culms 30 - 150cm tall.
The plant is commonly harvested from the wild for use as a medicine and as a source of essential oils. It is sold in local and national markets.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Asia - Turkey, through Irag to Yemen, east to India, southern China and Vietnam

Habitat

Mountain slopes, dry valleys[]. Found on plains at lower elevations to mountains at elevations up to 3,000 metres in India.

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Cymbopogon iwarancusa is found in warm temperate to tropical regions from eastern Turkey and Arabia to India, southern China and Vietnam.
Species in this genus generally grow best in a sunny position in a moisture-retentive but well-drained soil. Many of them are found in dry soils in the wild[].
The plant is sometimes cultivated and improved forms (essential oils) have been developed in India[].
The plant is aromatic[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The leaves are antirheumatic, antitussive, aromatic, blood purifier, febrifuge, stimulant, sudorific and tonic[]. They are used in the treatment of fevers, coughs, rheumatism, gout, dyspepsia, cholera etc[].

The roots are commonly used in India for the treatment of a range of feverish conditions. They are boiled in water until the amount of water is halved and this liquid is then kept in the mouth for 15 - 20 minutes to treat pyorrhea[].

The flowers are styptic[].

The leaves contain around 1% of an essential oil, the major constituent of which is piperitone, in the range of (83 - 90% in some forms)[, ].
An extract of the leaves has been shown to be an effective antibacterial against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus salivarius; it is also an effective antifungal against Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium oxyporum. An ethanol extract was much more effective than a water extract[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is sometimes grown for the fixation and reclamation of sand dunes[].

Other Uses

The essential oil obtained from the leaves has been shown to be an effective fungicide in treating pathogenic fungi on the cultivated plant Jatropha curcas[].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow or only just cover, sowing the seeds in trays in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots at the 3 - 4 leaf stage and grow on for at least their first winter under glass. Plant out when in active growth in early summer and consider giving some winter protection for the first year or two.
Division of established clumps. This is best done annually or they can become too crowded and suffer. The offshoots of this species often fail to establish[].