Ditch millet

Paspalum scrobiculatum

Family: Poaceae Genus: Paspalum Species: scrobiculatum

Synonyms: Paspalum virgatum var. latifolium, Paspalum virgatum var. purpurascens, Paspalum commersonii var. turgidum, Paspalum mauritanicum, Paspalum amazonicum, Paspalum auriculatum, Paspalum commutatum, Paspalum purpurascens, Paspalum ledermannii, Paspalum moratii, Paspalum horneri, Paspalum palustre, Paspalum metzii, Paspalum scrobiculatum var. polystachyum, Paspalum serpens, Paspalum deightonii, Paspalum scrobiculatum var. frumentaceum, Paspalum confertum, Paspalum scrobiculatum var. auriculatum, Paspalum scrobiculatum var. velutinum, Paspalum scrobiculatum var. deightonii, Paspalum scrobiculatum var. horneri, Paspalum orbiculare var. cartilagineum, Paspalum scrobiculatum var. gracillimum, Paspalum adelogaeum, Paspalum metabolon, Paspalum zollingeri, Paspalum scrobiculatum var. jardinii, Paspalum commersonii, Paspalum polo, Paspalum scrobiculatum var. bispicatum, Paspalum firmum, Paspalum borbonicum, Paspalum coromandelinum, Paspalum boscianum, Paspalum scrobiculatum var. bispiculatum, Paspalum jardinii, Paspalum puberulum, Paspalum dissectum var. grande, Paspalum akoense, Paspalum cartilagineum var. biglumaceum, Paspalum commersonii var. hirsutum, Paspalum frumentaceum, Paspalum scrobiculatum var. turgidum, Paspalum scrobiculatum var. commersonii, Paspalum cartilagineum, Paspalum virgatum, Paspalum commersonii var. polystachyum, Paspalum coloratum, Paspalum kora

Ditch millet (en)

Gallery

Botanical Description

Paspalum scrobiculatum, kodo millet or scrobic paspalum, is a robust, tufted annual or short-lived perennial grass in the Poaceae native to the savannas and seasonally wet grasslands of tropical Africa and South Asia, where it has been cultivated as a minor cereal for at least three thousand years. Plants form clumps 30-90 cm tall with stout, glabrous culms bearing flat, linear leaf blades 10-40 cm long and 4-10 mm wide. The terminal inflorescence is a panicle of 2-6 spreading or appressed digitate racemes 4-12 cm long; the spikelets are arranged in two rows along one side of the rachis and are broadly elliptic to suborbicular, 2-3 mm long, plano-convex, smooth, and shiny when ripe. The grain is small, hard, and persists within the husk. The species tolerates poor soils, drought, and waterlogging, and remains an important famine-food and minor staple in central India.

Native Region: Angola, Assam, Bangladesh, Benin, Borneo, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Cabinda, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Cape Verde, Caprivi Strip, Central African Repu, Chad, China South-Central, China Southeast, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, East Himalaya, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Free State, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., Gulf States, Hainan, India, Ivory Coast, Jawa, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaya, Mali, Maluku, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nansei-shoto, Nepal, New Guinea, New South Wales, Niger, Nigeria, Norfolk Is., Northern Provinces, Northern Territory, Pakistan, Philippines, Queensland, Rodrigues, Rwanda, Réunion, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Socotra, South China Sea, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Vietnam, West Himalaya, Western Australia, Yemen, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Cultural & Historical Context

Traditional American Uses

None Documented

Chemistry & External Identifiers

Trefle ID

233050

Important Disclaimer

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.

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