Taxon:  Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty



Summary
Genus:
Chrysopogon
Family:
Poaceae (alt. Gramineae)
Subfamily:
Panicoideae
Tribe:
Andropogoneae
Subtribe:
Chrysopogoninae
Nomen number:
424704
Place of publication:
Bull. Inst. Franç. Afrique Noire, A 22:106.  1960
Verified:
03/18/2003 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
22 (12  active, 9  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Basionym
Phalaris zizanioides L.

Homotypic Synonym(s)
Anatherum zizanioides (L.) Hitchc. & Chase
Andropogon zizanioides (L.) Urb.
Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Andropogon muricatus Retz.
Andropogon odoratus Steud., nom. inval.
Vetiveria odoratissima Bory ex Cloquet

Invalid Designation(s)
Andropogon squarrosus auct.
No images


Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. Flora of the West Indies (on-line resource). Note: = Vetiveria zizanioides
  2. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  3. Barnard, S. et al. 2013. Genetic diversity of vetiver isolates (Chrysopogon zizanoides / nigritanus) available in South Africa based on ITS, ndhF and rbcL sequencing analyses. S. African J. Bot. 86:63-67. DOI: 10.1016/j.sajb.2013.02.005.
  4. Burkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa. Note: = Vetiveria zizanioides
  5. Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs Note: = Vetiveria zizanioides
  6. Englert, J. M. et al. 1999-. USDA-NRCS Improved conservation plant materials released by NRCS and cooperators Note: = Vetiveria zizanioides
  7. Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
  8. FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
  9. Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource). Note: as native
  10. Friday, J. B. et al. 2021. Reforestation of degraded landscapes in Micronesia. Land 10:926. DOI: 10.3390/land10090926. Note: comments on its use in Northern Marianas
  11. George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.
  12. Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
  13. Hammel, B. E. et al., eds. 2003-. Manual de plantas de Costa Rica Note: = Vetiveria zizanioides
  14. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
  15. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland. Note: = Vetiveria zizanioides
  16. Panel on Vetiver, Board on Science and Technology for International Development, National Research Council. 1993. Vetiver grass: a thin green line against erosion. 11.
  17. Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
  18. Randall, R. P. 2007. The introduced flora of Australia and its weed status.
  19. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: = Vetiveria zizanioides
  20. Veldkamp, J. F. 1999. A revision of Chrysopogon Trin., including Vetiveria Bory (Poaceae) in Thailand and Malesia with notes on some other species from Africa and Australia. Austrobaileya 5:522-523.
  21. Villaseñor, J. L. & F. J. Espinoza-Garcia. 2004. The alien flowering plants of Mexico. Diversity & Distrib. 10:113-123. Note: = Vetiveria zizaniodes
  22. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishcuscus grass as Vetiveria zizanioides1Burkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa. Note: = Vetiveria zizanioides
Englishkhus-khus as Vetiveria zizanioides1Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs Note: = Vetiveria zizanioides
Englishkhus-khus grass as Vetiveria zizanioides1Englert, J. M. et al. 1999-. USDA-NRCS Improved conservation plant materials released by NRCS and cooperators Note: as Vetiveria zizanioides
Englishvetiver as Vetiveria zizanioides1McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland. Note: = Vetiveria zizanioides
Englishvetiver grass as Vetiveria zizanioides1Englert, J. M. et al. 1999-. USDA-NRCS Improved conservation plant materials released by NRCS and cooperators Note: = Vetiveria zizanioides
Frenchchiendent odorant as Vetiveria zizanioides2Oyen, L. P. A. & Nguyen Xuan Dung, eds. 1999. Essential-oil plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 19:167-172. Note: as Vetiveria zizanioides
Frenchvétiver as Vetiveria zizanioides2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: = Vetiveria zizanioides
GermanVetivergras as Vetiveria zizanioides2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: = Vetiveria zizanioides
Indiakhas-khas as Vetiveria zizanioides2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: = Vetiveria zizanioides
Portuguese (Brazil)capim-de-cheiro as Vetiveria zizanioides2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)capim-sândalo as Vetiveria zizanioides2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)patchuli-falso as Vetiveria zizanioides2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Spanishzacate violeta as Vetiveria zizanioides2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants Note: = Vetiveria zizanioides
Swedishvetivergräs  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaAssam Veldkamp, J. F. 1999. A revision of Chrysopogon Trin., including Vetiveria Bory (Poaceae) in Thailand and Malesia with notes on some other species from Africa and Australia. Austrobaileya 5:522-523.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaBihar Veldkamp, J. F. 1999. A revision of Chrysopogon Trin., including Vetiveria Bory (Poaceae) in Thailand and Malesia with notes on some other species from Africa and Australia. Austrobaileya 5:522-523.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaMadhya Pradesh Veldkamp, J. F. 1999. A revision of Chrysopogon Trin., including Vetiveria Bory (Poaceae) in Thailand and Malesia with notes on some other species from Africa and Australia. Austrobaileya 5:522-523.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaMeghalaya Veldkamp, J. F. 1999. A revision of Chrysopogon Trin., including Vetiveria Bory (Poaceae) in Thailand and Malesia with notes on some other species from Africa and Australia. Austrobaileya 5:522-523.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaOdisha Veldkamp, J. F. 1999. A revision of Chrysopogon Trin., including Vetiveria Bory (Poaceae) in Thailand and Malesia with notes on some other species from Africa and Australia. Austrobaileya 5:522-523.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaTamil Nadu Veldkamp, J. F. 1999. A revision of Chrysopogon Trin., including Vetiveria Bory (Poaceae) in Thailand and Malesia with notes on some other species from Africa and Australia. Austrobaileya 5:522-523.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaUttar Pradesh Veldkamp, J. F. 1999. A revision of Chrysopogon Trin., including Vetiveria Bory (Poaceae) in Thailand and Malesia with notes on some other species from Africa and Australia. Austrobaileya 5:522-523.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaWest Bengal Veldkamp, J. F. 1999. A revision of Chrysopogon Trin., including Vetiveria Bory (Poaceae) in Thailand and Malesia with notes on some other species from Africa and Australia. Austrobaileya 5:522-523.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentPakistanPunjab Veldkamp, J. F. 1999. A revision of Chrysopogon Trin., including Vetiveria Bory (Poaceae) in Thailand and Malesia with notes on some other species from Africa and Australia. Austrobaileya 5:522-523.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentSri Lanka  Veldkamp, J. F. 1999. A revision of Chrysopogon Trin., including Vetiveria Bory (Poaceae) in Thailand and Malesia with notes on some other species from Africa and Australia. Austrobaileya 5:522-523.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaIndochina  Veldkamp, J. F. 1999. A revision of Chrysopogon Trin., including Vetiveria Bory (Poaceae) in Thailand and Malesia with notes on some other species from Africa and Australia. Austrobaileya 5:522-523.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaMyanmar  Veldkamp, J. F. 1999. A revision of Chrysopogon Trin., including Vetiveria Bory (Poaceae) in Thailand and Malesia with notes on some other species from Africa and Australia. Austrobaileya 5:522-523.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaThailand  Veldkamp, J. F. 1999. A revision of Chrysopogon Trin., including Vetiveria Bory (Poaceae) in Thailand and Malesia with notes on some other species from Africa and Australia. Austrobaileya 5:522-523.
2CultivatedAfricaNorthern AfricaAlgeria  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
2CultivatedAsia-TemperateChinaChina  Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
2CultivatedNorthern America United States s.FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
2CultivatedPacificNorthwestern PacificUnited StatesNorthern Mariana Islands Friday, J. B. et al. 2021. Reforestation of degraded landscapes in Micronesia. Land 10:926. DOI: 10.3390/land10090926. Note: comments on its use in Northern Marianas
2CultivatedSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaCosta Rica  Hammel, B. E. et al., eds. 2003-. Manual de plantas de Costa Rica Note: = Vetiveria zizanioides
4NaturalizedAustralasiaAustraliaAustralia  Randall, R. P. 2007. The introduced flora of Australia and its weed status.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaCosta Rica  Hammel, B. E. et al., eds. 2003-. Manual de plantas de Costa Rica Note: = Vetiveria zizanioides
Native
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India [Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal], Sri Lanka, Pakistan [Punjab]
  • INDO-CHINA: Indochina, Myanmar, Thailand
Cultivated
Africa
  • NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria
Asia-Temperate
  • CHINA: China
Northern America
  • REGION: United States (s.)
Pacific
  • NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC: United States [Northern Mariana Islands]
Southern America
  • CENTRAL AMERICA: Costa Rica
Naturalized
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia
Southern America
  • CENTRAL AMERICA: Costa Rica

Reference(s)
  1. Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
  2. FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
  3. Friday, J. B. et al. 2021. Reforestation of degraded landscapes in Micronesia. Land 10:926. DOI: 10.3390/land10090926. Note: comments on its use in Northern Marianas
  4. Hammel, B. E. et al., eds. 2003-. Manual de plantas de Costa Rica Note: = Vetiveria zizanioides
  5. Randall, R. P. 2007. The introduced flora of Australia and its weed status.
  6. Veldkamp, J. F. 1999. A revision of Chrysopogon Trin., including Vetiveria Bory (Poaceae) in Thailand and Malesia with notes on some other species from Africa and Australia. Austrobaileya 5:522-523.
  7. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalboundary/barrier/support Panel on Vetiver, Board on Science and Technology for International Development, National Research Council. 1993. Vetiver grass: a thin green line against erosion. 11.
Environmentalerosion control Panel on Vetiver, Board on Science and Technology for International Development, National Research Council. 1993. Vetiver grass: a thin green line against erosion. 11.
Environmentalerosion control Friday, J. B. et al. 2021. Reforestation of degraded landscapes in Micronesia. Land 10:926. DOI: 10.3390/land10090926. Note: comments on its use in Northern Marianas
Environmentalerosion control Barnard, S. et al. 2013. Genetic diversity of vetiver isolates (Chrysopogon zizanoides / nigritanus) available in South Africa based on ITS, ndhF and rbcL sequencing analyses. S. African J. Bot. 86:63-67. DOI: 10.1016/j.sajb.2013.02.005.
Materialsessential oilsused in perfumery and soapsPanel on Vetiver, Board on Science and Technology for International Development, National Research Council. 1993. Vetiver grass: a thin green line against erosion. 11.
Medicinesfolklore McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland. Note: as Vetiveria zizanioides
Medicinesfolklore Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs Note: = Vetiveria zizanioides
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=424704. Accessed 12 May 2026.