MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC CROPS (2+1)

Origin and distribution

• The species is considered to have originated in India.
  


• It grows wild in many tropical and subtropical parts of Asia, Africa and America.
  


• The plant is grown for its oil in the West Indian Islands and also in Central America, South America, Thailand, Bangladesh, the Comoros Islands, Madagascar and China.


• Although the oil has been known since very early times in India, the systematic cultivation and distillation of the grass were started in Kerala only about 90 years ago. At present, it is grown commercially in the Nothern district of Travancore and Cochin (Kerala), Assam, Maharashtra and parts of Uttar Pradesh.