— 3i — 



which has largely contributed to the confusion existing, and has classified 

 the individual grasses in the following groups: — 



Genus Cymbopogon, with 10 species 

 „ Vetiveria „ I „ 



„ Andropogon „ i „ 



Most interesting is the detailed discussion of the individual species. 

 Stapf enters here in detail into the history, the habitat, the botanical 

 characteristics, synonyms and vernacular names of the various grasses, 

 and moreover supplies details on the oils which come under consideration. 

 Of these particulars we reproduce here only those which appear to us 

 necessary for our purpose, and we refer to the original work especially 

 with regard to the very voluminous historical part and the botanical details. 



i. Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Spreng. (Synonyms: Andropogon Schoen- 

 anthus L., A. laniger Desf., A. Iwarancusa subsp. laniger Hook, f.) 

 Camel grass. This plant was known already in the earliest times, 

 and was frequently employed for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. 

 In the old pharmacopoeias and herbalist's books, it appears as Herba 

 Schoenanthi, but other names were also in use for it, such, for example, 

 as Juncus odoratus and Palea camelorum. The Arabian name often used 

 is Izkhir. As a characteristic desert -plant which is able to exist with 

 the smallest possible supply of water, it is distributed over Northern 

 Africa and Arabia, and it is also found in the Persian province of 

 Kirman, where it grows at altitudes of 6000 feet and higher, and from 

 South - Western Afghanistan and North -Western Beluchistan, to the 

 Punjab. 



With regard to the essential oil contained in it (camel grass oil), 

 comp. Gildemeister and Hoffmann, The Volatile Oils, p. 299. 



2 . Cymbopogon Iwarancusa Schult. (Syn. Andropogon Itvarancusa J ones). 

 The grass, which, according to B lane, is identical with the Nardns Indica 

 of the Ancients, is found along the extreme mountain-zone of the Indian 

 provinces, and here prefers the neighbourhood of streams as it requires 

 at least at intervals, a plentiful supply of water. The natives call it 

 Terankus (fever -remedy) in consequence of its beneficial action in all 

 kinds of fever 1 ). The whole plant has a strongly aromatic odour, but 

 particularly the roots, which also contain the therapeutically active con- 

 stituents, and which have a burning and bitter taste when chewed. 

 C. Iwarancusa differs from C. Schoenanthus (to which it is closely allied) 

 by the stronger build, the long, flat, and comparatively broad leaves 

 and the more strongly ramified panicles. At great altitudes, or in the 

 dry parts of the Punjab, it becomes small and narrow-leaved, and then 

 represents a transition-form to C. Schoenanthus. 



') For the rest, almost all the other species discussed here are employed for 

 therapeutical purposes. 



