Khas-Khas / Vetiver
Chrysopogon zizanioides
- Found in India
- Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, West Bengal & more
How to identify Khas-Khas
Identify Khas-Khas by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Deep aromatic roots used for vetiver oil and mats.
- Confirm flower colour: Purple.
- Confirm flower arrangement: Panicle.
- In India, compare location records such as Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Assam and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Poaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Khas-Khas.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Chrysopogon zizanioides
- Genus
- Chrysopogon
- Family
- Poaceae
- Found in India
- Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Assam, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Typical of the Poaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- PurplerecordedPurple or violet“The flowers are brownish-purple.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Flower arrangement
- PaniclerecordedA branching cluster of clusters.“The panicles are 15–30 cm (6–12 in) long and have whorled, 25–50 mm (1–2 in) long branches.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fruit surface
- Smooth, not spinyrecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Spike
- Fruit
- Grain
Characters marked “recorded” are for Khas-Khas itself; the rest are typical of the Poaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- khas-khas
- Tamil
- வெட்டிவேர்
- Sinhala
- සැවැන්දරා
About Khas-Khas
Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides) is a species in the Poaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and 14 other states.
Uses
In practice it is grown for parts that are eaten, long used in traditional medicine and cut for timber and furniture. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice.
Poaceae
Grass family
Khas-Khas belongs to the Poaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Poaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guides