Vetiveria

a genus of perennial grasses. About ten species exist, in the hot countries of the eastern hemisphere. Vetiveria zizaniodes (Andropogon squarrosus and A. muricatus), which grows wild in Hindustan, Indochina, and Ceylon, is of practical value. It is cultivated in all of tropical Southeast Asia and in Africa (in Algiers), North America (southern regions), and South America. In the subtropical regions of the USSR (Abkhazia and Adzharia) a one-year crop is successfully grown with winter storage of planting material in hotbeds or greenhouses. The roots of Vetiveria contain an essential oil that is valued in the perfume industry. In Southeast Asia, fans, screens, and other objects are manufactured from Vetiveria roots.