The lemon grass is a perennial, tufted, aromatic grass with numerous erect hollow stems (culms) arising from short-branched rhizomes. The culms reach 3 m hight and is solid at the base, with a waxy powdery secretion on the surface below the nodes. The leaves are sheathing; the sheath is leathery, rounded in cross section, tightly embracing the culm, smooth with fine longitudinal lines, the ones at the base persisting; the thin projection from the top of the leaf sheath is rounded or flattish; the blade linear, up to a meter long and 2 cm wide, drooping, whitish green, midrib prominent below, white above, smooth on both surfaces but the top portion and margins are often rough to the touch. Inflorescences are a large, loose, several times divided, nodding panicle, up to 60 cm long, repeatedly branched, each division issuing from a spathe-like sheath, the final branch issuing from the small spathe with a pair of racemes; spikelets bearing 2 florets. The seeds are cylindrical to subglobose with basal hilum.

Oil has antifungal and antibacterial properties; antimicrobial, analgesic, antipyretic and depresses the central nervous system (essential plant oil); antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, cyanogenetic, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, preventative (cold), stimulant and insecticidal.

Floridata

Mainly citral a and citral b and myrcene but also alpha and beta-pinene and beta-phellandrene (essential plant oil).

Colds, cough, as a depurative agent, indigestion, elephantiasis, fever, headache, hypertension, leprosy, malaria, mouth sores, neuritis, painful menstruation, pneumonia, rheumatism, ringworm, sprains, toothache, gingivitis, pyorrhea, for cleaning teeth. A fomentation of leaves is good for immediate relief of colds. It makes human bodies healthy, with its carminative and anticholeric properties. Chinese use the grass to treat colds, headache, intestinal problems, eczema and reduce high blood pressure.

Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India.