Cymbopogon giganteus

Cymbopogon giganteus is a large, tufted perennial grass in the Poaceae native to tropical Africa, widespread across the savannas of West, Central and East Africa. It forms robust clumps of long, narrow, aromatic leaf blades arising from a dense base, with the foliage releasing a strong scent when crushed owing to its essential-oil content. Tall flowering culms bear large, branched, feathery inflorescences of paired spikelets typical of the lemongrass genus. It grows in open grassland, savanna, fallow land and along watercourses, often in seasonally burnt vegetation. The leaves and flowering parts yield an essential oil dominated by p-menthadienols and limonene, and the grass is harvested both for its aromatic oil and for use in African traditional medicine.