About Cymbopogon refractus (R.Br.) A.Camus
Cymbopogon refractus is a tufted perennial bunchgrass that grows without stolons or rhizomes. Its culms, or stems, reach up to 1 meter (3 feet 3 inches) in height and branch at the nodes. The nodes are purplish and hairless. Leaves grow both at the plant's base and along its stems; all leaves are hairless, and when crushed, they release a lemon-ginger scent, which is characteristic of other grasses in the genus Cymbopogon. The plant's inflorescence, the structure that holds its flowers, grows along a 10–45 cm (3.9–17.7 in) long stem. It is made up of clusters of short, nearly hairless branches that bend downwards once mature, giving the entire inflorescence an appearance similar to barbed wire. Its spikelets grow in paired arrangements, with one stalked spikelet and one unstalked spikelet per pair. Flowering occurs most often from spring through autumn. Cymbopogon refractus is widespread growing on poor soils in roadsides, native pastures, woodlands, and forests across Queensland, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, and Victoria. It is very drought tolerant, but is easily damaged by frost.
