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Cymbopogon nardus

Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle  
Family: Poaceae
Citronella Grass, more...Nardgrass
[Andropogon ampliflorus Steud., moreAndropogon confertiflorus Steud., Andropogon nardus var. prolixus Stapf, Andropogon nardus var. validus Stapf, Cymbopogon afronardus Stapf, Cymbopogon claessensii Robyns, Cymbopogon nardus var. confertiflorus (Steud.) Bor, Cymbopogon prolixus (Stapf) E. Phillips, Cymbopogon validus (Stapf) Stapf ex Burtt Davy, Cymbopogon validus var. lysocladus Stapf, Sorghum nardus (L.) Kuntze]
Cymbopogon nardus image
  • FNA
  • Resources
Mary E. Barkworth. Flora of North America

Plants perennial. Culms to 250 cm; nodes often swollen. Basal sheaths glabrous, smooth, purplish-red; ligules 3-6 mm, acute; blades to 100 cm long, 3-16 mm wide, surfaces smooth or scabrous. Inflorescences to 100 cm, linear, interrupted; rames 10-17 mm; internodes and pedicels pilose on the margins, glabrous dorsally. Sessile spikelets of heterogamous pairs 3-4.5(6) mm; lower glumes with narrowly winged keels; upper lemmas unawned or awned, awns 6-10 mm. 2n = 20, 40, 60.

Cymbopogon nardus has been cultivated in the United States,but the variety involved is not known. Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle var. nardus, which is native to Sri Lanka, is the common citronella grass. It differs from C. nardus var. confertiflorus (Steud.) Stapf ex Bor, which is native to both Indian and Sri Lanka, in having unawned spikelets and 2n = 20, rather than awned spikelets and 2n = 40, 60. Both varieties have been widely introduced beyond their native range.

Cymbopogon nardus
Open Interactive Map
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University of Florida Herbarium
Cymbopogon nardus image
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University of Florida Herbarium
Cymbopogon nardus image
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Cymbopogon nardus image
University of Florida Herbarium
Cymbopogon nardus image
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Cymbopogon nardus image
University of Florida Herbarium
Cymbopogon nardus image
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Genevieve J Kline
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Cymbopogon nardus image
Cymbopogon nardus image
Cymbopogon nardus image
University of Florida Herbarium
Cymbopogon nardus image
Cymbopogon nardus image
Cymbopogon nardus image
University of Florida Herbarium
Cymbopogon nardus image
Cymbopogon nardus image
Cymbopogon nardus image
Cymbopogon nardus image
University of Florida Herbarium
Cymbopogon nardus image
Cymbopogon nardus image
University of Florida Herbarium
Cymbopogon nardus image
Cymbopogon nardus image
Genevieve J Kline
Cymbopogon nardus image
Cymbopogon nardus image
Cymbopogon nardus image
Genevieve J Kline
Cymbopogon nardus image
Cymbopogon nardus image
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