Other popular names:
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), lemon grass,
Indian verbena, Fipagrass in Bandjoun (Cameroon).

Scientific name:
Cymbopogon citratus

Family :
Poaceae

Description :
Lemongrass is a tropical herbaceous plant of the Poaceae family.
(grasses), subfamily Panicoideae, tribe Andropogoneae, cultivated
for its stems and leaves with aromatic qualities (lemon flavor).
It contains citronellol.

Plant with long, linear, erect leaves, 90 cm to 2 m long, with rough, sharp edges, of a fairly pale bluish-green color. Hollow stems, bulbous at the base, wrapped in the leaf sheath.

Perennial plant by its rhizomes. Not to be confused with lemon balm or simply lemongrass (Melissa officinalis L.), a perennial plant of the Lamiaceae family.

Location :
The country of origin of the species Cymbopogon citratus is unknown. It is mainly cultivated in temperate Asia (China, Taiwan), northern Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Morocco), Cyprus, West Africa (Ghana, Togo, Benin), Central Africa (Congo-B, Gabon) and South America: the Caribbean (Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands), Mesoamerica (Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama), as well as Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It is naturalized in Argentina and Chile.

Plantation:
Plant not hardy in temperate climates. It is necessary to protect it from frost during the bad season. Lemongrass requires relatively abundant watering. A moist substrate with a sandy tendency, preferably slightly enriched, will guarantee optimal growth. It can be grown in open ground or in pots without any problem.

Multiplication by division of tufts in spring. Harvest after a few months. The base of the stem is taken.

Use :
The base of the fresh stems, cut into rounds, is used to flavor raw vegetables, salads, marinades, soups, etc. It is a traditional ingredient in Southeast Asian cuisine (India, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, etc.). Thai or Vietnamese cooks use lemongrass stems to give a lemony flavor to their dishes. Only the most tender part of this "fragrant rush" is used, 6 to 7 cm from the base. Remove the outer leaves and cut both ends of the stem - use the center. It is best to cut the lemongrass into large pieces so that they can be easily removed after cooking.

In northern Morocco, it is used to flavor mint green tea. Its dried leaves are also widely used in Malaysian, Indonesian and Chinese cuisine for fish marinades or grilled meats. It is also found, fresh, in some French recipes.

It pairs well with ginger, coconut, garlic, shallot and chili.

Citronella is currently no longer recommended as a mosquito repellent due to its low effectiveness, in view of the risks of viral contamination (such as Zika, chikungunia, etc.). Lemon Eucalyptus essential oil (Corymbia citriodora) is preferred if you do not wish to use products such as DEET.

Citral, eucalyptol and other monoterpenes present in lemongrass essential oil in a certain proportion have also demonstrated their effectiveness as repellents and insecticides for house flies, and would allow the production of commercial insecticides with almost zero toxicity for humans.

Traditional uses:
Traditionally, an essential oil is also extracted from it, which is used as a mosquito repellent. This essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of the plant. It takes about 100 kg of the plant to produce one litre of citronella essential oil. In Central Africa, citronella is traditionally planted around houses because its smell is said to repel mosquitoes.

- Image and content sources: book Plants and People