3. Lemongrass is a tropical perennial plant
which yields aromatic oil.
Name lemongrass is derived from
typical lemon-like odour of essential oil
present in the shoot.
Lemongrass oil of commerce is
popularly known as Cochin oil in the
world trade, since 90% of it is shipped
from Cochin port.
Kerala had the monopoly in production
and export of lemongrass oil.
4. Annual world production of lemongrass oil is
around 1000 t from an area of 16000 ha.
In India, cultivated in an area of 4000 ha and
annual production is around 250 t –
commercially grown in Travancore & Cochin
(Kerala), Assam, Maharastra, Gujarat,
Karnataka, TN, AP, UP.
Extensively cultivated in poor, marginal and
waste lands & also along bunds as live mulch.
Well ramified root system of plant helps in soil
and water conservation.
Parts used : Whole grass
6. SPECIES AND VARIETIES
Genus comprises of about 120 spp.
Most important are :
Cymbopogon flexuosus (Nees ex Steud) Wats
Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf.
Cymbopogon pendulus (Nees ex Steud)
Cymbopogon khasianus
7. 1. Cymbopogon flexuosus (Nees ex Steud) Wats.
2n=20, 40
Known as East Indian, Cochin or
Malabar grass
Indigenous to South India
Tufted robust perennial grass of
about 2m height
Leaves are linear & lanceolate
Flowers freely
Inflorescence is very large & highly branched
terminal drooping panicle bearing paired spikes
on tertiary branches
8. Spikes bear spikelets in pairs of
which one is sessile & other
pedicellate
Sessile spikelet is an awned
bisexual floret where as pedicellate
is an awnless staminate floret
Under this species two varieties or
types are identified based on stem
colour:
C. flexuosus var. flexuosus
C. flexuosus var. albescens
9. C. flexuosus var. flexuosus – Red grass. Stem and
leaf sheath are reddish or purple in colour. It is
recognised as true lemon grass and is
commercially cultivated. Essential oil contains
more than 75-80% citral, exhibits good solubility
in alcohol & hence is superior in quality.
C. flexuosus var. albescens – White grass
characterized by white colour of stem. Normally
seen wild. Essential oil contains less than 65-70%
citral, exhibits poor alcohol solubility & hence is
considered inferior in quality.
10. 2. Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf.
2n=40, 60
Known as West Indian or American lemongrass
Malaysian origin
Stemless perennial grass with
numerous stiff tillers arising from
short rhizomatus rootstock, making
large tussocks
Seldom flowers under cultivation
Leaf blade is narrow, linear,glaucous,
drooping with scabrous margin, ligule truncate
11. Inflorescence rarely produced
Large loose panicle, spathe bracts long
and narrow
Sessile spikelets, awnless, linear and
lanceolate
Essential oil contains 74-76% citral and
exhibits poor solubility
12. 3. Cymbopogon pendulus (Nees ex Steud) Wats
Known as Jammu lemongrass
White stemmed and dwarf in nature
Plant is frost resistant and suited to Sub-Himalayan
of North India
Essential oil contains 75-80% citral and exhibits
medium solubility in alcohol
13. 4. Cymbopogon khasianus
Important for its geraniol content
Variety : Suwarna (CIMAP, Lucknow)
Vigorous, fast growing, high tillering,
suitable for rainfed condition, herb yield
550q/ha, oil yield 208.75 kg/ha, oil content
0.6%, citral 80.15%.
14. VARIETIES
Sl.No Variety Description
1 Sugandhi
(OD-19)
Released from Aromatic & Medicinal Plants
Research Station (AMPRS), Odakkali. Red
stemmed variety adapted to wide range of
soil & climatic conditions and most popular
in India. The plant grows to a height of 1-1.75
m with profuse tillering, yielding 35-40
t/ha/year herb containing 0.3% oil (125
kg/ha) with 80-85% citral under rain-fed
condition.
15. 2 Pragati (LS-48) Clonal selection from OD-19 at
Central Institute of Medicinal and
Aromatic Plants (CIMAP),
Lucknow, India. It is tall growing
with dark purple leaf sheath,
adapted to North Indian Plains and
Tarai belt of subtropical and
tropical climate. Average oil
content is 0.63% with 86% citral.
3 Praman (Clone 29) Clonal selection at CIMAP,
Lucknow and belongs to species C.
pendulus. It is a tetraploid type
with profuse tillering. Leaves are
erect and medium in size. Oil yield
is 227 kg/ha/annum with 82%
citral content
16. 4 RRL-16 Evolved from C. pendulus and released
for cultivation from Regional Research
Laboratory (RRL), Jammu, India. Average
yield of herb is 15 to 20 t/ha/annum
giving 100 to 110 kg oil. Oil content
varies from 0.6 to 0.8% and citral
content is 80%
5 SD-68 Developed by S C Datta, using ionizing
radiation yielded up to 375 kg of
oil/ha/year with a citral content of 90-92
%
6 RRL-39 Released from RRL, Jammu
7 Kavery and
Krishna
Released from CIMAP Regional Station,
Bangalore, India. Krishna has longer and
narrow looking leaves when compared
with other C. flexuosus varieties,
Cauvery, pragati and OD-19
17. 8 Chirharit High yielding variety, developed by
systematic breeding for genetic
improvement at Pantnagar, Chirharit,
India. It is frost resistant and the essential
oil contains 81% citral
9 RLJ-TC-7,
RLJ-TC-8,
RJL-TC-11
Released from RRL, Jorhat. These three
accessions shows higher percentage of
geraniol and oil, and may be considered as
geraniol rich varieties, that can be grown
under North – East Indian climatic
conditions for production of oil.
18. AMPRS, ODAKKALI
Lemongrass Breeding Station established in 1951 at Odakkali
under Industrial Department of Travancore Cochin State.
Developed to status of Research Station from 1.8.1954 and in
1972 handed over to KAU, later renamed as Aromatic and
Medicinal Plants Research Station
Second lemongrass Research Station in the world, First in
Puerto Rico in America.
Largest genetic biodiversity conservation centre in the
world on lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) consisting of
about 406 accessions maintained at AMPRS, Odakkali.
There are 17 other types in the germplasm in which major
constituent of oil is not citral.
20. Aka lemon scented gum, blue spotted gum,
citron scented gum, lemon eucalyptus
Native to semitropical and warm temperate
regions of Australia and Malaysia
In India, grown in the plains of North India and
in sub mountain tracts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh
21. Evergreen, tall tree (25 to 40 m) with a
crown of branches and leaves at the top
Parts used – Leaves and terminal
branchlets
Essential oil rich in citronellal (26.7 to
82.6%), citronellol, geraniol, esters,
pinene, cineole, neo isopulegol
camphene, myrcene, limonene, p-
cymene, r-terpinene, terpindene,
linalool, citronellal acetate, pulegol &
caryophyllene
22. USES
Essential oil used in preparation of
cosmetics, hair oil & soap
Used as raw material for menthol
manufacture
Industrial, medicinal & perfumery
Antiseptic, esp. in treatment of
upper respiratory tract infections
and in certain types of skin diseases
23. SYSTEMATIC POSITION
Domain : Eukaryota
Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Order : Myrtales
Family : Myrtaceae
Genus : Eucalyptus
24. SPECIES
There are about 700 species of
genus.
Eucalyptus citriodora Hook and
Eucalyptus globulus Labill. are
most common species.
Eucalyptus globulus is also
known as Tasmanian blue gum.
25. RELATED SPECIES
E. globulus includes the following
subspecies:
E. globulus subsp. globulus =
E. globulus - Tasmanian blue gum
E. globulus subsp. bicostata =
E. bicostata - Southern blue gum,
Eurabbie, Victorian blue gum
26. E. globulus subsp. maidenii= E. maidenii -
Maiden's gum
E.globulus subsp. pseudoglobulus =
E. pseudoglobulus - Gippsland blue gum,
Victorian Eurabbie
29. SYSTEMATIC POSITION
Kingdom : Plantae
Subkingdom : Tracheobionta
Superdivision : Spermatophyta
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Subclass : Asteridae
Order : Lamiales
Family : Lamiaceae
Genus :Ocimum
30. Native to Tropical Asia
Part used – whole herb at full blooming stage
Genus contains about 180-250 species of
annual & perennial aromatic herbs and shrubs
Two major species in India :
Ocimum basilicum – Sweet basil
Ocimum sanctum – Holy basil
31. Ocimum basilicum Linn.
(2n=4x=48)
Aka Sweet basil / French basil
Active principle: Flavonoids,
steroids, polysaccharides, tannins,
saponins & essential oil contains
methyl chavicol, linalool, 1, 8-
cineole and methyl cinnamate
Oil used for flavouring food stuffs,
confectionary, condiments,
perfumery industry & in toiletry
products
32. SUBSPECIES & VARIETIES
Nine species recorded in India of which 3 are
exotic.
1. Ocimum basilicum ssp. minima Danert (syn.
O. minima Linn) (2n=48)
2. O. basilicum var. majus Benth
3. O. basilicum var. difforme Benth (Curly
leaved basil)
4. O. basilicum var. purpurascens Benth (violet
red basil)
5. O. basilicum var. glabratum Benth (Common
white basil)
33. 6. O. basilicum var. pilosum Benth (Syn. O. pilosum
Roxb.)
7. O. basilicum var. crispa
8. O. basilicum var. thyrisiflora
9. O. basilicum var. darpakol
34. Ocimum sanctum Linn
(2n = 32)
Aka holy basil/sacred basil/Indian
basil
Active principle: Essential oil
contains eugenol (71%), eugenol
methyl ether (20%), carvacrol (3%)
etc.
Posses medicinal properties, used
in Ayurvedic preparations and
considered to be an adaptogen
(helps in adapting to stress).
35. Two types of O. sanctum under cultivation in
India:
Sri tulsi – green type – most common
Krishna tulsi – purple leaves, preferred in trade
for its higher potency of drug.
Other important Ocimum species are:
O. gratissimum – Clocimum – rich in eugenol &
myrcene
O. kilimandscharicum – camphor basil – rich in
d- camphor, d- pinene, d- limonene, terpeneol
42. Known as thippali, long pepper,
Indian long pepper, Dried catkins
Native to Indo-Malaya region
Chr. No.: 2n=24, 48, 72, 96
Economic parts: Spikes and roots
Active principle:
Spikes–Alkaloid piperine (4-5%) and
piplatin
Roots-alkaloids piper longuminine
(0.2-0.25%), piper longumine (0.02%)
and piperine
Has medicinal properties & used in
pharmaceutical preparations
43. RELATED SPECIES
Piper nigrum
Piper betle
Piper pepuloides
Piper officinarum
Piper chaba
44. RACES
Assam type
Asali (true) thippali - Most pungent & superior
in quality
Suvali thippali - good quality, commonly used
Maharashtra type
Nonsori thippali
45. SriLankan type
Cheema thippali -common cultivated
clone of Kerala
West Bengal type
Unda / Gol (round ball) thippali
Wild type
Kattuthippali
46. BOTANY
Perennial under-shrub with
creeping stem
Leaves simple, lower ones broadly
ovate, cordate; upper ones oblong,
oval
Flowers nearly throughout the year
Separate male and female plants
exist
Inflorescence: spike with unisexual
flowers
47. Male spikes
Slender & elongated, 2.5 to 7.5 cm
long, Yellowish, sheds within a few
days
Female spikes
Bold and short with thick stalk 5 to
4.0 cm long & 0.5 to 0.7 cm thick.
Greenish yellow when young, turns
greenish black or black when ripe
Only female spikes used as drug.
48. VARIETIES
Cheemathippali: Local type
Viswam (AICRP MAP&B and KAU, Thrissur):
Selection from ‘Cheemathippali’, bears female
type spikes, 800kg/ha of dry spikes under
open condition
50. SYSTEMATIC POSITION
Kingdom : Plantae
Sub Kingdom : Phanerogamae
Division : Spermatophyta
Sub Division : Angiospermae
Class : Monocotyledonae
Series : Epigynae
Order : Scitaminales
Family : Zingiberaceae
Genus : Kaempferia
51. K. galanga - endangered, highly priced
medicinal and aromatic plant of the Family
Zingiberaceae indigenous to Tropical Asia.
Native to India
Cultivated mainly in South East Asia and China
In India, mainly cultivated in Kerala, Karnataka,
Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Shade loving plant
Parts used : Leaves, Rhizome
52. BOTANY
Perennial aromatic herb with aromatic
rhizomes
Leaves two or more, lying close to the ground,
round ovate, thin, deep green, without any
prominent pseudostem, chanelled
53. Flowers white with purple
patches inside emerge close
to the ground during July –
August
Corolla tube 2.5 cm long,
connective of anther
produced in to a quadrate
two-lobed appendage
Fruits oblong, 3-celled and 3
valved capsules
Seeds arillate
54. The underground rhizome has one
or more prominent, vertically
oriented tuberous root stock and
many small secondary tubers and
roots, their tips becoming tuberous
Large variation noticed in plant and
tuber characters among the
cultivated types
Local cultivars from Koothattukulam,
Thodupuzha, Varandarappilli,
Kalladikode, Ponnookkara,
Perumbavoor and Vellanikkara are
common in cultivation.
55. VARIETIES
Two varieties - Kasthuri and Rajani - superior in yield
and quality released from Department of Plantation
Crops & Spices, College of Horticulture, Kerala
Agricultural University
Kasthuri Rajani
Leaves – More in no. &
larger in size
Fewer & small
Rhizome – Light brown &
larger in size
Medium bold, creamy white
& more in no.
Productivity - 900kg/acre
dry rhizome
870kg/acre dry rhizome
(High oleoresin content –
7.68%)
Suited for perfumery Preferred for medicinal value
60. Native to India
Parts used : Leaves and root
Erect perennial
Entire plant covered with soft white felt-like
hair that is responsible for one of its common
names, "flannel weed“
Stems yellow-green, hairy, long, and slender.
Yellow-green leaves oblong-ovate, covered
with hairs
61. Flowers dark yellow, sometimes with a darker
orange center, with a hairy 5-lobed calyx and
5-lobed corolla.
As a weed invades cultivated and overgrazed
fields, competing with more desired species
and contaminating hay
