Plant

Lemongrass

Cymbopogon (genus)

Also known as: Cymbopogon, Cymbopogon citratus, sereh

A genus of around 50 species of tropical and subtropical perennial grasses in the family Poaceae — native to South and Southeast Asia, Africa, and Australia. The leaves and stems contain citral, an intensely lemon-scented compound that gives lemongrass its distinctive flavor. Foundational to Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Cambodian, Sri Lankan, and Indian cuisine; central to many forms of citronella, lemongrass essential oil, and traditional medicine. Sri Lankan and Indian *citronella oil* (used in insect repellent globally) comes from related *Cymbopogon* species.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons — see source for license.

Scientific

Cymbopogon (family Poaceae) contains ~50 species of tall clump-forming aromatic grasses. Principal cultivated species:

Cymbopogon citratus — West Indian / Thai lemongrass; the principal culinary species
Cymbopogon flexuosus — East Indian / Malabar lemongrass; the principal essential-oil species
Cymbopogon nardus — citronella grass; the source of citronella oil for insect repellent
Cymbopogon martinii — palmarosa; rose-geranium-scented; perfumery oil source
Cymbopogon winterianus — Java citronella; another citronella source

The principal aromatic compound is citral — a mixture of geranial and neral, isomers that together produce the intense lemon scent without the species being botanically related to citrus.

Cultural and culinary

Lemongrass is foundational to Southeast Asian cuisine. The stalks are pounded, bruised, or finely sliced to release the aromatic compounds; they appear in:

Thai tom yum and tom kha soups
Vietnamese bún bò Huế, beef noodle soup, marinades
Indonesian sereh in rendang, gulai, and curry pastes
Cambodian kroeung (curry paste base)
Sri Lankan curries and herbal teas
Indian kalpasi and South Indian preparations
Chinese (less central but present) in some Sichuan dishes

Lemongrass tea is a traditional beverage across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia. The species is also used in essential-oil-grade perfumery and in citronella-based insect repellent products.

Global production

Top producers: Indonesia, India, China, Bangladesh, Thailand.

Sources

Wikipedia — Cymbopogon

A plant entry in the 0mn1.one [[directory]].

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Cultural

shares approach with

Galangal Thai-aromatic-trinity partner — galangal + lemongrass + kaffir-lime is the foundational base of tom kha and tom yum. Inseparable in practice.
Kaffir lime Thai aromatic trinity partner — and a citronellal-chemistry kin (both species' principal aromatic compound is citronellal, which is why they harmonize so completely).
Lemon verbena auto-linked from body mention

General