Vetiver Oil

Vetiver Oil (Chrysopogon zizanioides) is a perennial grass of the Poaceae family, native to India although it is also widely cultivated in the tropical regions of the world and its major producers include Haiti, India, Java, and Réunion; however the United States, Europe, India, and Japan are its main consumers.

In western and northern India, it is popularly known as khus, giving the earlier English names cuscus, cuss cuss, kuss-kuss grass.

It can grow up to 1.5 meters high and form clumps as wide.

The stems are tall and the leaves are long, thin, and rather rigid; the flowers are brownish purple.

Unlike most grasses, which form horizontally spreading mat-like root systems, vetiver's roots grow downward, 2–4 meters in depth.

Vetiver is closely related to other fragrant grasses such as lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), citronella (Cymbopogon nardus, C. winterianus), and Palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii).

It is mainly cultivated for the fragrant essential oil distilled from its roots and it has excellent fixative properties which are widely used in perfumes.

Réunion is considered to produce the highest quality vetiver oil called "bourbon vetiver" with the next favorable being Haiti and then Java.

In perfumery, the older French spelling, vetyver, is often used.

Old Tamil literature mentions the use of vetiver for medical purposes.

In the hot summer months in India, sometimes a muslin sachet of vetiver roots is tossed into the earthen pot that keeps the household's drinking water cool and like a bouquet garni, the bundle lends its distinctive flavor and aroma to the water.