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3. Cymbopogon Nardus Rendle (Syn. Andropogon Nardus L.), citron - 

 el la grass. In this grass also various botanists suspected the Nardus 

 Indica of the Ancients, and for this reason Linnaeus gave it the name 

 Andropogon Nardus; from other side the grass was also connected with 

 Calamus aromaticus 1 ). Nicholas Grimm, a physician who lived at 

 the end of the 17 th century in Colombo, called the grass Arundo Indica 

 odorata. He stated that it grows in large quantities in the neighbourhood 

 of Colombo (probably cultivated), and that an essential oil is distilled from 

 it. In after-days citronella grass has often been confused with lemon grass. 



Citron ella grass is only found cultivated; it is grown particularly 

 in the southern part of Ceylon, and also in the Malacca peninsula 

 and Java; in most recent times attempts have also been made to 

 cultivate it in the West Indies. The mother -plant is very probably 

 the wild mana grass, Cymbopogon confertiflorus Stapf, found in Ceylon. 



It is well known that citronella grass is cultivated in two varieties: 

 "Maha pengiri" (Maha pangiri), and "Lenabatu" (Lana batu). The first- 

 named sort is also called "old citronella grass" or "Winter's grass", as 

 it is now only cultivated by Winter & Son, whilst it is chiefly grown 

 in the Malacca peninsula and in Java. It has fairly broad leaves, 

 larger tufts than "Lenabatu", and is characterised by a rapid growth, 

 but it is soon exhausted and dies off after 1 o to 15 years. As for this 

 reason it frequently has to be planted out afresh, it has more and more 

 been replaced by the lenabatu variety. It yields an oil of less specific 

 gravity, readily soluble, and rich in total geraniol (geraniol -\~ citronellal). 

 The statement originating from Winter 2 ), that "Maha pengiri" has 

 reached Ceylon from Malacca, must (according to Stapf) be so under- 

 stood, that the grass which does not grow wild in Malacca, has been 

 brought back to Ceylon from there as an improved race. But as 

 "Maha pengiri" also passes for the "old or original Ceylon citronella 

 grass", it is more probable that Winter's above statement is after 

 all incorrect. 



The variety known as "Lenabatu", also designated as "new citronella 

 grass", which forms the bulk of Ceylon citronella grass, yields an oil 

 of less value, which differs from the other by a higher specific gravity, 

 lower geraniol-content, and a content of methyl eugenol. 



Morphological differences between the two varieties do not exist, 

 as Stapf proved with two specimens which, however, were not very 

 well preserved. 



4. Cymbopogon confertiflorus Stapf (Syn. Andropogon confertiflorus Steud., 

 A. nilagiricus Hochst, A. Nardus var. nilagiricus Hack.). This grass is 



*) As Stapf mentions in another place, Royle endeavoured to prove that 

 this name belongs to Palmarosa grass, Cymbopogon Martin? Stapf, and for this 

 reason proposed for the latter the designation Andropogon Calamus aromaticus. 



2 ) Chemist and Druggist 52 (1898), 646. 



