Cymbopogon nardus (Linnaeus) Rendle, Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Andropogon nardus L.; Cymbopogon afronardus Stapf

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: ya xiang mao

English: Ceylon citronella, citronella, citronella grass, giant turpentine grass, nard grass, nardus, new citronella grass

French: citronnelle de Ceylan, citronnelle de Sri Lanka

Niuean: kamapui

Spanish: zacate limón

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Perennial from a stout rootstock. Culms tufted, robust, up to 2.5 m tall, 1-2 cm in diameter. Leaf sheaths reddish purple at base, smooth, glabrous; leaf blades dark green or dark brown when dry, drooping for 1/3 of their length, 30-100 x 1-2 cm, glabrous, abaxial surface scabrid, adaxial surface smooth, base narrow, apex long acuminate; ligule 2-3 mm. Spathate panicle large, narrow, congested, interrupted, 60-90 cm; spatheoles reddish brown, 1.2-2.5 cm; racemes 1-1.5 cm; rachis internodes and pedicels ciliate on margins; pedicel of homogamous pair not swollen. Sessile spikelet oblong-lanceolate, 3-4.5 x 1-1.2 mm; lower glume flat or slightly concave, reddish brown or purplish upward, sharply 2-keeled, keels narrowly winged, obscurely 0-3-veined between keels; upper lemma linear, entire or slightly 2-lobed, mucronate or very shortly awned. Pedicelled spikelet 3.5-7 mm"  (Flora of China online).

Description from Grassbase.

Habitat/ecology:  (no habitat/ecology info known by PIER)

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Eastern and southern Africa, India; cultivated elsewhere (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 35) Presence questionable
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Weno (Moen) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 35) Presence questionable
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Kapingamarangi Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 35)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced cultivated	Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (p. 55) Voucher cited: FF Sohl 64 (NY, PTBG)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced cultivated	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 230) "Planted near houses".
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island		Smithsonian Institution (U.S.A. District of Columbia. Washington.) (year unknown) (voucher ID: US 1722067) Taxon name on voucher: Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced cultivated	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 238) Clumps persisting for a number of years. Voucher cited: CHR 168798
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island	introduced	Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced invasive	Randall, R. P. (2007) (p. 145)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	introduced cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Cymbopogon nardus, please let us know.