Palmarosa is an erect grass, up to 2m tall with glabrous leaf-sheath. The plant grows in the forests of
Andhra Pradesh,
Maharashtra,
Madhya Pradesh and
Karnataka.
It is cultivated as a rain-fed crop or irrigated crop in poor and marginal soils, waste lands, black and alkaline soils. Its oil contains geraniol, geranyl acetate, citral, citronell and linalool. The oil is added to perfumery and cosmetics, and used in flavoring industries.
It is also known as ginger grass and rosha ghas.
