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12(1): Medicinal and poisonous plants 1

Imperata cylindrica (L.) Raeuschel

This article should be read together with the article on the genus: Imperata in the Handbook volume indicated above in this database.

Nomencl. bot., ed. 3: 10 (1797).

Lagurus cylindricus L. (1759), Imperata arundinacea Cirillo (1792).

Cogon grass, satintail (En). Paillotte (Fr). Indonesia: alang-alang, ilalang, lalang (general). Malaysia: lalang, alang-alang. Papua New Guinea: kunai (Pidgin), kurukuru (Barakau, Central Province). Philippines: kogon (Tagalog), gogon (Bikol), bulum (Ifugao). Burma (Myanmar): kyet-mei. Cambodia: sbö':w. Laos: hnha:z kh'a:. Thailand: ya-kha, laa laeng, koe hee (Karen, Mae Hong Son). Vietnam: c[or] tranh.

Widely distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics of Africa, the Indian subcontinent, South-East Asia and Australia; occurring to a lesser extent in North, Central and South America, and also occurring in warm temperate areas, being recorded at latitudes of 45? in New Zealand and Japan.

Rhizome decoctions of Imperata cylindrica are used as a diuretic in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Indo-China and China. A rhizome decoction is used to treat dysentery in the Philippines and to treat diarrhoea and gonorrhoea in Malaysia. In Malaysia and Papua New Guinea, rhizome decoctions are used to purify the blood. Furthermore, Imperata cylindrica is administered in the treatment of nose, kidney and bladder complaints in Papua New Guinea, and the shoots are chewed to treat diarrhoea. In Brunei, a root decoction is used as febrifuge. In Indo-China and by Chinese throughout the South-East Asian region the rhizomes are considered haemostatic and cooling and are prescribed as a general tonic as well as in cases of acute nephritis, hypertension, epistaxis and haemoptysis. The flowers or sprouts are reported to be thirst-relieving and digestive, and are used in the treatment of haemorrhages and wounds. In the Philippines the fruiting spikes are considered a vulnerary and sedative. The rhizomes contain a fair amount of starch and a kind of beer can be made from them. The leaves are often used for thatching and the young shoots are grazed. The plants are sometimes used to make hats and mats. Experiments have shown that they can be used to make good paper.

A rhizomatous herbaceous perennial up to 120(-300) cm tall, culms below the nodes usually with a crown of long slender hairs; leaf sheaths of basal leaves coriaceous, glabrous or finely hairy, leaf blade 12-80 cm x 0.5-2 cm; inflorescence a spiciform panicle 10-30 cm long, floret with upper glume 4-5-veined, stamens 2. Imperata cylindrica is found in a wide range of open anthropogenic habitats, prefering well-aerated soils, from sea-level up to 2700 m altitude.

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Juliana Jonathan & Bambang P.J. Hariadi

Jonathan, J. & Hariadi, B.P.J., 1999. Imperata cylindrica (L.) Raeuschel. In: de Padua, L.S., Bunyapraphatsara, N. and Lemmens, R.H.M.J. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 12(1): Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record: prota4u.org/prosea