Sweet Grass

At a glance

Origin / distribution: US(Flathead), China, US(Blackfoot), BE, CH, DE, DK, FI

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Cold, Fumitory, Fever, Incense

Science studied: COUMARIN, COUMARIC-ACID, COUMARIC-ACID-BETA-GLUCOSIDE, FERULIC-ACID

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Poaceae

Scientific name: Hierochloe odorata

Common names: Sweet Grass, Vanilla-Scented Grass, Vanilla Grass, Seneca Grass, Manna Grass, Holy Grass, Avena odorata, Avoine odorante, Duft-Mariengras, Duft-Mariengras (Artengruppe), Duftendes Mariengras, Festgræs, Hierochloe odorant, Hiérochloa odorant, Avoine odorante, Hiérochloée odorante, Herbe à la Vierge, Hiérochloé odorant, Holy-grass, Sweetgrass, Vellugtende festgræs

History

The source record documents this plant in US(Flathead), China, US(Blackfoot), BE, CH, DE, DK, FI and 7 additional places.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Cold
• Fumitory
• Fever
• Incense
• Repellant(Insect)
• Anodyne

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• US(Flathead)
• China
• US(Blackfoot)
• BE
• CH
• DE
• DK
• FI
• FR
• GB
• IS
• JP

Documented cultural uses

• Cold
• Fumitory
• Fever
• Incense
• Repellant(Insect)
• Anodyne

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Cold · US(Flathead) · "
• Fumitory · China · "
• Fumitory · US(Blackfoot) · "
• Fever · US(Flathead) · "
• Incense · US(Flathead) · "
• Repellant(Insect) · US(Flathead) · "
• Anodyne · US(Flathead) · "

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• The genome sequence of Holy-grass, Hierochloe odorata (L. P.Beauv., 1812) (Poales: Poaceae) · 2026 source ↗
• Isolation and Identification of Mosquito (Aedes aegypti) Biting-Deterrent Compounds from the Native American Ethnobotanical Remedy Plant Hierochloë odorata (Sweetgrass). · 2016 source ↗
• Effect of sweet grass (Hierochloe odorata) on the physico-chemical properties of liver cell membranes from rats intoxicated with ethanol. · 2013 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• COUMARIN
• COUMARIC-ACID
• COUMARIC-ACID-BETA-GLUCOSIDE
• FERULIC-ACID
• MELILOTIC-ACID

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases · CC0

GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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