Lemongrass
StarCymbopogon citratus
Synonyms: Andropogon citriodorus, Andropogon citratus, Andropogon cerifer, Cymbopogon nardus subvar. citratus, Andropogon nardus subsp. cerifer, Andropogon roxburghii
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
Lemongrass is one of the most widely used pan-tropical medicinal plants. In Ayurvedic and Indian traditional medicine it has a long history of use, and across Latin American, Caribbean, African and South-East Asian folk medicine an infusion of the leaves is drunk as a digestive and carminative tea, to settle the stomach and relieve spasm, and to calm nervousness and aid sleep. The essential oil and its principal constituent citral show documented carminative and antispasmodic activity, and a named anxiolytic/sedative action mediated through the GABAergic system has been demonstrated for the leaf essential oil in animal studies (Costa et al., 2011; Blanco et al., 2009).
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Botanical Description
Cymbopogon citratus, lemongrass, is a tall, tufted, aromatic perennial grass of the family Poaceae, probably native to tropical Asia and now cultivated throughout the tropics and subtropics. It forms dense clumps of fibrous roots and short rhizomes from which arise numerous slender, arching, blue-green leaf blades up to a metre or more long, with rough margins and a strong lemony scent when crushed, owing to a high content of the monoterpene citral. The leaf bases sheath one another into bulbous, pale culms. Under tropical conditions it rarely flowers in cultivation; when it does, it produces large branched, nodding panicles of paired spikelets. Lemongrass is widely grown both as a culinary flavouring and as a source of essential oil.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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