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Foxtail millet

Foxtail millet
Japanese Foxtail millet 02.jpg
Immature seedhead
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Panicoideae
Genus: Setaria
Species: S. italica
Binomial name
Setaria italica
(L.) P. Beauvois
Synonyms
  • Alopecurus caudatus Thunb.
  • Chaetochloa germanica (Mill.) Smyth
  • Chaetochloa italica (L.) Scribn.
  • Chamaeraphis italica (L.) Kuntze
  • Echinochloa erythrosperma Roem. & Schult.
  • Echinochloa intermedia Roem. & Schult.
  • Ixophorus italicus (L.) Nash
  • Oplismenus intermedius (Hornem.) Kunth
  • Panicum aegyptiacum Roem. & Schult. nom. inval.
  • Panicum asiaticum Schult. & Schult.f. nom. inval.
  • Panicum chinense Trin.
  • Panicum compactum Kit. nom. inval.
  • Panicum elongatum Salisb. nom. illeg.
  • Panicum erythrospermum Vahl ex Hornem.
  • Panicum germanicum Mill.
  • Panicum germanicum Willd. nom. illeg.
  • Panicum globulare (J.Presl) Steud.
  • Panicum glomeratum Moench nom. illeg.
  • Panicum intermedium Vahl ex Hornem.
  • Panicum italicum L.
  • Panicum itieri (Delile) Steud.
  • Panicum macrochaetum (Jacq.) Link
  • Panicum maritimum Lam.
  • Panicum melfrugum Schult. & Schult.f. nom. inval.
  • Panicum miliaceum Blanco nom. illeg.
  • Panicum moharicum (Alef.) E.H.L.Krause
  • Panicum panis (Jess.) Jess.
  • Panicum pumilum Link nom. illeg.
  • Panicum serotinum Trin. nom. inval.
  • Panicum setaceum Trin. nom. inval.
  • Panicum setosum Trin. nom. inval.
  • Panicum sibiricum Roem. & Schult. nom. inval.
  • Panicum vulgare Wallr. nom. illeg.
  • Paspalum germanicum (Mill.) Baumg.
  • Penicillaria italica (L.) Oken
  • Pennisetum erythrospermum (Vahl ex Hornem.) Jacq.
  • Pennisetum germanicum (Mill.) Baumg.
  • Pennisetum italicum (L.) R.Br.
  • Pennisetum macrochaetum J.Jacq.
  • Setaria asiatica Rchb. nom. inval.
  • Setaria californica Kellogg
  • Setaria compacta Schur nom. inval.
  • Setaria erythrosperma (Vahl ex Hornem.) Spreng.
  • Setaria erythrosperma Hornem. ex Rchb. nom. inval.
  • Setaria flavida Hornem. ex Rchb. nom. inval.
  • Setaria germanica (Mill.) P.Beauv.
  • Setaria globulare J. Presl
  • Setaria globularis J.Presl
  • Setaria itieri Delile
  • Setaria japonica Pynaert
  • Setaria macrochaeta (Jacq.) Schult.
  • Setaria maritima (Lam.) Roem. & Schult.
  • Setaria melinis Link ex Steud.
  • Setaria moharica Menabde & Erizin
  • Setaria multiseta Dumort.
  • Setaria pachystachya Borbás nom. illeg.
  • Setaria panis Jess.
  • Setaria persica Rchb. nom. inval.
  • Setaria violacea Hornem. ex Rchb. nom. inval.
  • Setariopsis italica (L.) Samp.

Foxtail millet (Chinese: 小米; botanic name Setaria italica, synonym Panicum italicum L.) is an annual grass grown for human food. It is the second-most widely planted species of millet, and the most important in East Asia. It has the longest history of cultivation among the millets, having been grown in India since antiquity. According to recent research, it was first domesticated in China around 6,000 BC. Other names for the species include dwarf setaria,foxtail bristle-grass,giant setaria,green foxtail,Italian millet,German millet, and Hungarian millet.

Foxtail millet is an annual grass with slim, vertical, leafy stems which can reach a height of 120–200 cm (3.9–6.6 ft).

The seedhead is a dense, hairy panicle 5–30 cm (2.0–11.8 in) long.

The small seeds, around 2 mm (less than 1/8 in.) in diameter, are encased in a thin, papery hull which is easily removed in threshing. Seed color varies greatly between varieties.

Seeds of foxtail millet

Mochi-Awa, Japanese foxtail

Millet fields in Bangladesh

Names for foxtail millet in other languages spoken in the countries where it is cultivated include:

In South India, it has been a staple diet among people for a long time from the sangam period. It is popularly quoted in the old Tamil texts and is commonly associated with Lord Muruga and his consort Valli.

In China, foxtail millet is the most common millet and one of the main food crops, especially among the poor in the dry northern part of that country. In Southeast Asia, foxtail millet is commonly cultivated in its dry, upland regions. In Europe and North America it is planted at a moderate scale for hay and silage, and to a more limited extent for birdseed.


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Wikipedia

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