Poaceae · Chrysopogon

Khas-Khas / Vetiver

Chrysopogon zizanioides

outdoor
Found in India
Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, West Bengal & more

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
Simple type leaf character
Type
Simple
Entire margin leaf character
Margin
Entire
Parallel venation leaf character
Venation
Parallel

Typical of the Poaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour
PurplerecordedPurple or violetThe 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

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.

Illustration representing the Poaceae family
Botanical family

Poaceae

Grass family

Khas-Khas belongs to the Poaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

Explore the Poaceae family →

Snap it. Know it.

Point your camera at Khas-Khas or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.

Download SASYA — Free

Common plant problems

All plant problem & care guides →

More in Poaceae

View all Poaceae