Family: Poaceae
Author: (L.) Morrone
Bibliography: Ann. Bot. (Oxford) 106: 127 (2010)
Year: 2010
Status: accepted
Rank: species
Genus: Cenchrus
Vegetable: False
Observations: Benin to S. Trop. Africa
Description
Indian millet, scientifically known as Cenchrus americanus, is a compelling member of the Poaceae family. This versatile and resilient grass is prevalent across regions extending from Benin to Southern Tropical Africa. Beloved for its hardiness, Indian millet thrives in diverse environmental conditions, making it a vital crop in areas with varying climates.
Renowned for its significant agricultural and economic importance, Indian millet provides a staple food source in many parts of the world. The grain is a rich source of essential nutrients and is utilized in a variety of culinary applications, offering a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fibers.
The plant exhibits robust adaptability to arid conditions, often growing in soils where other crops may struggle. This resilience makes it an invaluable resource for sustenance in regions prone to drastic weather changes and challenging growing conditions.
Research published in the Annals of Botany in 2010 detailed various aspects of the plant’s morphology and genetic makeup, outlining its potential to boost food security and agricultural sustainability in underdeveloped regions. The journal entry highlights the importance of Cenchrus americanus in agricultural studies and its promising prospects for broader cultivation.
Overall, Indian millet stands as a testament to nature’s ability to thrive against the odds, forming a crucial part of diets and agricultural practices in parts of Africa and beyond.
Common Names
En: Indian millet, Bajra, Bulrush millet, Cattail millet, Horse millet, Pearl millet, Pearl-millet, Yellow bristlegrass
Fr: Mil africain, Millet perle, Millet à chandelles
De: Negerhirse, Perlhirse
It: Miglio perlato
Pt: Milheto
Es: Mijo negro, Mijo perla
Sv: Pärlhirs
Eng: pearl millet, pearl-millet
Por: capim-italiano, capim-tinga, milhete, milheto
Synonyms
- Pennisetum glaucum ((L.) R.Br.)
- Pennisetum nigritarum var. macrostachyum (T.Durand & Schinz)
- Phleum africanum (Lour.)
- Pennisetum gibbosum (Stapf & C.E.Hubb.)
- Penicillaria macrostachya (Klotzsch ex A.Braun)
- Setaria lutescens (F.T.Hubb.)
- Penicillaria indica (A.Braun)
- Cenchrus pycnostachyus (Steud.)
- Ixophorus glaucus ((L.) Nash)
- Penicillaria deflexa (Andersson ex A.Braun)
- Chaetochloa lutescens (Stuntz)
- Penicillaria elongata (Schrad. ex Schltdl.)
- Cenchrus spicatus ((L.) Cav.)
- Pennisetum albicauda (Stapf & C.E.Hubb.)
- Pennisetum americanum f. echinurus ((K.Schum.) Leeke)
- Pennisetum gambiense (Stapf & C.E.Hubb.)
- Panicum lutescens (Weigel)
- Pennisetum spicatum subsp. willdenowii ((Klotzsch ex A.Braun) K.Schum.)
- Setaria glauca ((L.) P.Beauv.)
- Pennisetum pycnostachyum (Stapf & C.E.Hubb.)
- Pennisetum echinurus ((K.Schum.) Stapf & C.E.Hubb.)
- Pennisetum solitarium (Stokes)
- Pennisetum spicatum var. typhoideum (T.Durand & Schinz)
- Pennisetum leonis (Stapf & C.E.Hubb.)
- Alopecurus typhoides (Burm.f.)
- Pennisetum cereale (Trin.)
- Holcus spicatus (L.)
- Panicum coeruleum (Mill.)
- Andropogon racemosus ((Forssk.) Poir. ex Steud.)
- Pennisetum nigritarum var. deflexum ((Andersson ex A.Braun) T.Durand & Schinz)
- Pennisetum maiwa (Stapf & C.E.Hubb.)
- Setaria sericea ((Aiton) P.Beauv.)
- Pennisetum typhoideum (Rich.)
- Chaetochloa glauca ((L.) Scribn.)
- Panicum americanum (L.)
- Pennisetum spicatum var. longipedunculatum (K.Schum.)
- Penicillaria nigritarum (Schltdl.)
- Penicillaria arabica (A.Braun)
- Panicum involucratum (Roxb.)
- Pennisetum ancylochaete (Stapf & C.E.Hubb.)
- Penicillaria willdenowii (Klotzsch ex A.Braun)
- Cenchrus paniceus (B.Heyne ex Wall.)
- Pennisetum americanum ((L.) Leeke)
- Pennisetum cinereum (Stapf & C.E.Hubb.)
- Pennisetum spicatum var. macrostachyum (K.Schum.)
- Pennisetum nigritarum ((Schltdl.) T.Durand & Schinz)
- Setaria rufa (Chevall.)
- Pennisetum americanum subsp. spicatum ((L.) Maire & Weiller)
- Holcus racemosus (Forssk.)
- Setaria lutescens var. parviflora (Munro ex Hook.f.)
- Penicillaria mossambicensis (A.Braun)
- Pennisetum typhoideum var. plukenetii ((Link) Rendle)
- Penicillaria plukenetii (Link)
- Penicillaria roxburghii (A.Braun)
- Pennisetum typhoideum var. echinurus ((K.Schum.) Rendle)
- Pennisetum megastachyum (Steud.)
- Chamaeraphis glauca ((L.) Kuntze)
- Penicillaria typhoidea (Schltdl.)
- Setariopsis glauca ((L.) Samp.)
- Pennisetum malacochaete (Stapf & C.E.Hubb.)
- Pennisetum americanum subsp. typhoideum (Maire & Weiller)
- Pennisetum plukenetii ((Link) T.Durand & Schinz)
- Setaria lutescens var. macrocarpa (Hook.f.)
- Panicum sericeum (Aiton)
- Penicillaria solitaria (Stokes)
- Penicillaria spicata ((L.) Willd.)
- Pennisetum spicatum ((L.) Körn.)
- Penicillaria involucrata ((Roxb.) Schult.)
- Holcus paniciformis (Roxb. ex Hook.f.)
- Pennisetum spicatum var. echinurus (K.Schum.)
- Panicum holcoides (Trin.)
- Panicum glaucum (L.)
- Panicum spicatum ((L.) Roxb.)
- Panicum indicum (Mill.)
- Pennisetum aureum (Link)
Distribution
- Angola (native)
- Benin (native)
- Burkina (native)
- Cameroon (native)
- Central African Repu (native)
- Chad (native)
- Congo (native)
- Gabon (native)
- Malawi (native)
- Mozambique (native)
- Nigeria (native)
- Togo (native)
- Zambia (native)
- Zaïre (native)
- Afghanistan (introduced)
- Alabama (introduced)
- Amur (introduced)
- Andaman Is. (introduced)
- Argentina Northeast (introduced)
- Argentina Northwest (introduced)
- Argentina South (introduced)
- Arizona (introduced)
- Arkansas (introduced)
- Assam (introduced)
- Baltic States (introduced)
- Bangladesh (introduced)
- Belarus (introduced)
- Botswana (introduced)
- Brazil North (introduced)
- Brazil Northeast (introduced)
- Brazil South (introduced)
- Brazil Southeast (introduced)
- Brazil West-Central (introduced)
- Burundi (introduced)
- California (introduced)
- Central European Rus (introduced)
- Chile Central (introduced)
- Chile North (introduced)
- China North-Central (introduced)
- Colombia (introduced)
- Colorado (introduced)
- Comoros (introduced)
- Connecticut (introduced)
- Cuba (introduced)
- Cyprus (introduced)
- Delaware (introduced)
- District of Columbia (introduced)
- Djibouti (introduced)
- Dominican Republic (introduced)
- East Aegean Is. (introduced)
- East European Russia (introduced)
- Ecuador (introduced)
- Egypt (introduced)
- Eritrea (introduced)
- Fiji (introduced)
- Florida (introduced)
- Gambia (introduced)
- Georgia (introduced)
- Guinea (introduced)
- Guinea-Bissau (introduced)
- Haiti (introduced)
- Hawaii (introduced)
- Idaho (introduced)
- Illinois (introduced)
- India (introduced)
- Indiana (introduced)
- Iowa (introduced)
- Iran (introduced)
- Iraq (introduced)
- Italy (introduced)
- Ivory Coast (introduced)
- Japan (introduced)
- Jawa (introduced)
- Kamchatka (introduced)
- Kansas (introduced)
- Kazakhstan (introduced)
- Kazan-retto (introduced)
- Kentucky (introduced)
- Khabarovsk (introduced)
- Kirgizstan (introduced)
- Korea (introduced)
- Krym (introduced)
- Kuril Is. (introduced)
- Kuwait (introduced)
- KwaZulu-Natal (introduced)
- Lebanon-Syria (introduced)
- Leeward Is. (introduced)
- Libya (introduced)
- Louisiana (introduced)
- Madagascar (introduced)
- Magadan (introduced)
- Maine (introduced)
- Mali (introduced)
- Marianas (introduced)
- Maryland (introduced)
- Masachusettes (introduced)
- Mauritania (introduced)
- Mauritius (introduced)
- Mexico Central (introduced)
- Mexico Northeast (introduced)
- Mexico Southwest (introduced)
- Michigan (introduced)
- Minnesota (introduced)
- Mississippi (introduced)
- Missouri (introduced)
- Mongolia (introduced)
- Montana (introduced)
- Morocco (introduced)
- Myanmar (introduced)
- Namibia (introduced)
- Nansei-shoto (introduced)
- Nebraska (introduced)
- Nepal (introduced)
- Nevada (introduced)
- New Caledonia (introduced)
- New Hampshire (introduced)
- New Jersey (introduced)
- New Mexico (introduced)
- New York (introduced)
- New Zealand North (introduced)
- Niger (introduced)
- North Carolina (introduced)
- North Dakota (introduced)
- North European Russi (introduced)
- Northern Provinces (introduced)
- Northwest European R (introduced)
- Ogasawara-shoto (introduced)
- Ohio (introduced)
- Oklahoma (introduced)
- Oman (introduced)
- Oregon (introduced)
- Pakistan (introduced)
- Palestine (introduced)
- Paraguay (introduced)
- Pennsylvania (introduced)
- Primorye (introduced)
- Puerto Rico (introduced)
- Rhode I. (introduced)
- Rodrigues (introduced)
- Réunion (introduced)
- Sakhalin (introduced)
- Sardegna (introduced)
- Saudi Arabia (introduced)
- Senegal (introduced)
- South Carolina (introduced)
- South Dakota (introduced)
- South European Russi (introduced)
- Sri Lanka (introduced)
- Sudan (introduced)
- Tadzhikistan (introduced)
- Tanzania (introduced)
- Tennessee (introduced)
- Texas (introduced)
- Transcaucasus (introduced)
- Turkey (introduced)
- Turkey-in-Europe (introduced)
- Turkmenistan (introduced)
- Ukraine (introduced)
- Utah (introduced)
- Uzbekistan (introduced)
- Vermont (introduced)
- Vietnam (introduced)
- Virginia (introduced)
- Washington (introduced)
- West Himalaya (introduced)
- West Virginia (introduced)
- Wisconsin (introduced)
- Wyoming (introduced)
- Yemen (introduced)
Additional Images
Habit
Taken May 20, 2021 by Dieter Albrecht (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 3, 2017 by Antoine AFFOUARD (cc-by-sa)
Bark
Taken May 20, 2021 by Dieter Albrecht (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 3, 2017 by Antoine AFFOUARD (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 3, 2017 by Antoine AFFOUARD (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 3, 2017 by Antoine AFFOUARD (cc-by-sa)
Leaf
Taken Jul 11, 2021 by Ka Aoy (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 3, 2017 by Antoine AFFOUARD (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 3, 2017 by Antoine AFFOUARD (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 3, 2017 by Antoine AFFOUARD (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 3, 2017 by Antoine AFFOUARD (cc-by-sa)
Flower
Taken Jul 13, 2020 by Rane (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 22, 2021 by NaNo_ N9 (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 13, 2022 by plant gal (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 11, 2021 by Ka Aoy (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 24, 2021 by Blandine Savreux (cc-by-sa)
Fruit
Taken Aug 24, 2022 by Marie Gentile (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 24, 2022 by Marie Gentile (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 25, 2021 by Pierre-Emmanuel GAY (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 27, 2019 by Joe Rabe (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 27, 2019 by Joe Rabe (cc-by-sa)
Other
Taken May 3, 2017 by Antoine AFFOUARD (cc-by-sa)
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77105978-1)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/2706141)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/5828197)
Specifications
Growth
Sowing: Direct seed outdoors once soil is 20° C (broadcast, drill, rows)
