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Roots of ''V. zizanioides'' contain 1-3% vetiver oil, a light to reddish brown, sometimes greenish, viscous liquid. Its aroma has a sweet earthy woody top note; a heavy earthy woody body; and a similar dry-out lasting for several days. The oil is a mixture of over 300 components, mainly bi-cyclic and tri-cyclic sesquiterpene alcohols (about 50%) and ketones. The sesquiterpenesαsesquiterpenes α-vetivone,β-vetivone and khusimol are the main constituents of the oil. They are considered fingerprints of the oil, although they do not possess the typical odour characteristics. The odour of vetiver oil is chiefly due to internal sesquiterpene ethers, such as epoxyeremophiladiene and epoxyspirovetivadiene. Several derivatives of khusimol are also important: zizanal and epi-zizanal and methyl esters. Other characteristic components of vetiver oil are vetivenic acid and vetivenyl vetivenate. In industry, the alcohols are often transformed to acetates, named vetiveryl acetate, which has a less intense, lighter, more floral scent than vetiver oil and is widely used as a fixative. The foreruns of vacuum distillation containing the more volatile components of the oil have an aroma strikingly reminiscent of asparagus.

The name ''Vetiveria zizanioides'' is sometimes erroneously attributed to Stapf and is often misspelled ''V. zizanoides'' . The taxonomy of the genus ''Vetiveria'' Bory is not yet well established. Although up to 10 species have been distinguished, it might appear that only one complex species exists in South-East Asia, ''V. zizanioides'' , with several varieties and cultivar groups. Most, if not all, so-called ''Vetiveria'' species are in fact ''Chrysopogon'' species, e.g. ''Chrysopogon'' ( ''Vetiveria'' ) ''nemoralis'' (Balansa) Holttum.

''V. zizanioides'' is a hydrophyte, often dominant in fresh-water swamps, floodplains and on stream banks. It can only survive and spread naturally in swampy areas. It also exhibits, however, xerophytic properties and grows remarkably well under alternating very wet and very dry conditions with annual rainfall ranging from (300-)1000-2000(-3000) mm. Frost is not generally tolerated, but a few selections survive frequent frosts, with extremes as low as -9°C. The average maximum temperature required for good growth is 2525°-35°C; absolute maxima may be about 45°C. It should not be shaded permanently, although healthy hedges of vetiver can be maintained in sugar-cane plantations, as the plants recover quickly after the harvest of the cane. ''V. zizanioides'' is tolerant of very poor and adverse soil conditions. It is grown on heavy clays and on leached, poor sands. Soil reaction may range from very acid (pH 4.0) to very alkaline (pH 9.6). Mature plants are tolerant of saline soil; yield reductions of 50% (comparable to those of cotton and barley) have been found where salinity in the top 50 cm of the soil was 15-24 mS/cm. It can survive fire, rough trampling and grazing. For the production of vetiver oil, light sandy soils are required to facilitate harvesting of the smaller roots, which contain most oil.

''V. zizanioides'' has few disease and pest problems. ''Curvularia trifolii'' leaf blight may cause damage during the rainy season; it causes the leaves to turn pale-yellow and to eventually dry out. ''Fusarium'' spp. are also reported to cause damage. A number of parasitic fungi have been identified in Malaysia, which grow on vetiver without causing much damage. They may, however, become troublesome when susceptible crops are grown with vetiver. These fungi include ''Curvularia lunata'' and ''C. maculans'' , causing leaf spot in oil palm, and a number of ''Helminthosporium'' spp. causing leaf spot or blight in oil palm, coconut palm, maize and sugar cane. Larvae of ''Chilo'' moths are the most serious pest of vetiver and crops grown in association with it. The larvae feed on the fibrovascular bundles, resulting in wilting of the affected stems and leaves. They can possibly be controlled by burning. Other reported pests are white grubs ( ''Eupladia'' spp.) and rats. Under dry conditions, termites attack dead leaf and stem material, causing the centre of clumps to die. In extreme cases, plants are even killed. Resistance to some root-knot nematodes is effective. In trials in Brazil, vetiver was not affected by ''Meloidogyne incognita'' race 1 and ''Meloidogyne javanica'' .