Lemon grass
Synonyms
East India lemon grass, Malabar
Biological Source
Botanical name: Cymbopogan flexuosus
Part used: mainly leaves
Family Poaceae
Geographical source
Indigenous to India.
Also cultivated in Nepal
Macroscopic features (Leaves)
Color: fresh-green, dried- straw colored
Odor: characteristic
Taste: characteristic
Shape: elongated
Size:length 15-25 cm; 1-1.5 cm breadth
Other features: Parallel venation present. Fracture is short. Glabrous on ventral side and hairy on the dorsal side.
Microscopical features
Upper epidermis is smooth while lower epidermis consist of a number of stomata
Mesophyll differentiated into palisade parenchyma and spongy cells.
Mesophyll tissue is usually chlorenchymatous.
Medium sized vascular bundles in adaxial (lower surface) and abaxial (upper surface) have 2-3 cells wide sclerenchyma
ch cover hair, lep lower epidermis, m mesophyll, ph phloem, s stomata, sc sclerenchyma, uep upper epidermis, x xylem, lep lower epidermis
Chemical constituents
Citral (68-85%)
Lemon grass also contain methyl heptanone, decyl aldehyde, geraniol, linalool, limonene, dipentene, citronellal etc
Uses