Citronella is a genus of trees and shrubs in the family Cardiopteridaceae described as a genus in 1832.Don, David. 1832. Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal 13: 243-244 description in Latin, commentary in EnglishTropicos, Citronella D.Don It is native to tropical regions of South and Central America, insular Southeast Asia, Australia, and islands of the western Pacific.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families The genus was formerly treated as belonging to the family Icacinaceae.Howard R. A. 1942d Studies of the Icacinaceae. V. A revision of the genus Citronella D. Don. Contributions from the Gray Herbarium of Harvard University 142: 60-89Genus Citronella from Encyclopedia of Chilean Flora
Few species have been cultivated. Citronella mucronata, from Chile, is remarkable for its hardiness compared to other members of this genus. It is one of the most well-known of the species and has been introduced to Europe.Mabberley, D. 1997. The Plant-Book. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom. 858p.
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