1 3 o 



grows out of the ground and gets exhausted dying off after 10 or 

 15 years' cultivation, the leaves are somewhat broad and the bushes 

 formed are larger than that of the Lena batu. 



The oil is finer containing 50-45 percent, of citronella and 38-15 

 of geraniol as against 28-2 of citronella and 32-9 of geraniol in 

 Lena batu. The latter however requires replanting less frequently 

 and so is said to be replacing the former. 



C. confertifiorus is a native of Ceylon which is said to produce 

 a good oil, but it does not appear to have ever been used 

 commercially. 



C.flexuosus is a Malabar species which produces the Malabar 

 grass oil or Malabar Lemon-grass oil. It is distilled and exported 

 under the name of Lemon-grass oil but it is not to be confused with 

 the real oil of that name. 



C. coloratus is a smaller plant from Southern India of which little 

 b known. It is very aromatic but does not appear to be distilled. 



C. citratus.— The Lemon-grass. The origin of this plant seems 

 very obscure. It appears to have been first described in 163 1 m 

 Java by Bontius and 1635 in the Philippines by MerEINBERG, a 

 Spanish Jesuit. Since that time it has been carried all over the 



It appears in India in 1695, in Africa and America about the 

 beginning of last century. Its value in medicine and its invariable 

 use in Malay curries, no doubt caused its transportation all over 

 me Archipelago and to other countries where the Portuguese who 

 tnS hl > n a PP rec c ia ted it, made their colonies. It is interesting his- 

 torically to find that Queen CHARLOTTE was very partial to 



trP^^n S \J ea ' the P !ant bein S S rown at Kew " She freqUe fl 

 treated Dr. Maton her physicion to a dish of Lemon-grass tea 

 from the Kew plants. 



No one seems ever to have seen the plant wild, so that its 

 original home is quite unknown. The plant very rarely flowers- 

 been e ^ Ver S f n ,° r heard of flowers here, but they have occasional y 

 been met with elsewhere. It is known here as Sereh Makan. to 

 distinguish it from Citronella Sereh Wangi. 

 Ger'J ^ is an Indian species producing the Rusa oil 

 to 1 X ".K 1 ' a u 0il in much demand The P roduction am ° Un 

 io 44,080 lbs., chiefly produced in Khandeisb and Rajputana. 

 It* J™*"' Kamakshi grass replaces this last m the Carnatic. 

 — cfail™ t0 bC **** used > but haS neV6r beCn W 

 Cevlof h T r °^ kn ° Wn as Del ft grass, is found in the Niighiris and 

 Ceylon. Its oil seems never to have been made commercially. 

 ^•^L) etiVer -' Vetive ^ odorata to which the new name : of £ 



3rlfc 3^5*5 da P mP exhale a P .e a san t scent. 



