Common Name:

General Information

Cymbopogon bhutanicus is an evergreen, clump-forming, perennial grass producing erect culms 120 - 150cm tall.
The plant is harvested from the wild, and also managed in the wild, for the production of essential oil, which is traded in Bhutan for a wide range of uses.
Cymbopogon bhutanicus is endemic to Bhutan, where it is known from only six locations, with continuing decline in the quality of habitat and the number of mature individuals. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Bhutan

Habitat

Dry rocky banks in chir pine forests; at elevations from 700 - 1,400 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Vulnerable
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	1.30 m
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Semi-cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Species in this genus generally grow best in a sunny position in a moisture-retentive but well-drained soil. Many of them are found in dry soils in the wild[].
The essential oil of this species is of great economic importance in Bhutan, where the plant is commonly harvested from the wild and also semi-cultivated. It is under management strategies in some areas; the area is burnt in order to promote growth of tender shoots. This does not have a major detrimental effect on this species, but does harm other species growing in the same areas[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The essential oil is used medicinally[].

Other Uses

An essential oil obtained from the leaves is used in perfumery, cosmetics and as an insect repellant[].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow or only just cover, sowing the seeds in a nursery seedbed. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots at the 3 - 4 leaf stage and grow on until large enough to plant out. Seed can also be sown in situ, but this often results in heavy weed infestation[].
Division of established clumps. This is best done annually or they can become too crowded and suffer. The offshoots of this species often fail to establish[].

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