N. O. GEAMINEJE 63
especially in Ceylon and the Straits Settlements, also in lower Burma
and Canton, Java, Tonquin, Africa, Mexico, Brazil, the West Indies,
Prench Guiana, Mauritius, Madagascar, New Guinea, etc.; in the Malay
peninsula, and especially near Singapore, the grass is cultivated on a
large scale.
The oil obtained from it differs from the Malabar lemon-grass oil by
its lesser solubility in alcohol and the frequently lower citral-content, for
which reason it is usually less valuable than the Malabar oil.
- Cymbopogon Martini Stapf (C. Martinianus Schult.), Eusa grass,
geranium grass. The vernacular name " rusa," which is largely used
for this grass, is probably derived from the brown-red coloration of the
panicles in autumn.
Eusa grass is found from the Eajmahal mountains (on the bend of
the Ganges) to the Afghan frontier, and from the sub-rtropical zone of
the Himalayas to the twelfth degree latitude, with the exception of the
desert and the steppe region of the Punjab, the external slopes of the
Westghat, and apparently a large part of Northern Karnatik.
A distinction is made between two varieties of the grass: " sofia "
and " motia," but it is for the present undecided whether they are
botanical varieties, or only different conditions of maturity of the same
species. - Cymbopogon caesius Stapf (Andropogon caesius, a et ft Nees),
Kamakshi grass.
This grass is very closely allied to C. Martini, but yet distinctly
different; only where the two Species meet, transition-forms occur
which unite the two species completely. C. caesius grows in the greater
part of Karnatik, where it is fairly common. It replaces C. Martini in
South-Eastern India.
In the Administration Eeport of the Government Botanic Gardens
and Parks, the Nilghiris, for 1901, p. 5, an article appears on this oil.
The grass used for the distillation originated from Arni, in the North
Arcot district, Madras Presidency, where it is found in large quantity.
The oil-yield from the grass freshly cut at the end of December was
O431 per cent. Another parcel, distilled at the end of April in an entirely
dry state, yielded 0*711 per cent. oil. With regard to the properties of
the oil no data are available. - Cymbopogon polyneuros Stapf (Andropogon polyneuros Steud.) is
a fairly strong grass which has a great tendency to form numerous rami-
fications upwards, so as to form thick clusters. It is found in the South-
western parts of India, especially in the Nilghiris, and here replaces
C. Martini. It is also found in Ceylon, preferably at greater altitudes (up
to 4500 ft.), and further in the island Delft in Adams' Strait, where
it is called " Delft grass " and forms good food for horses. The odour
of the rubbed leaves is said to remind one of fennel or anise. The oil was
distilled in 1902 in Utakamand, and obtained in a yield 0 * 25 per cent.;
with regard to its properties nothing is known. - Vetiveria zizanioides Stapf (Andropogon muricatus Eetz.) is vetiver-
grass, Anglo-Indian " Khas khas," or " cus-cus," a name which is
probably of Hindu origin and means " aromatic root ".
Vetiver grass occurs* both in the wild state and cultivated, and is
much esteemed on account of its roots which are used for many pur-
poses. In the wild state it is distributed all over British India and
Ceylon, being chiefly found on the banks of rivers and on rich marshy