Pennisetum glaucum R.Br.

Annual. Culms robust, up to 3 m tall, densely pubescent at nodes and below inflorescence. Leaf sheaths loose, smooth; leaf blades 20–100 × 2–5 cm, both surfaces and margins scabrous; base subcordate; ligule 2–3 mm. Inflorescence linear to broadly elliptic, dense, 40–50 × 1.5–2.5 cm; axis densely pubescent; involucre persistent, enclosing 1–9 spikelets, basal stipe pubescent, 1–25 mm; bristles usually shorter than spikelets, almost glabrous to densely plumose. Spikeles obovate, 3.5–4.5 mm; lower glume minute, ca. 1 mm; upper glume 1.5–2 mm, 3-veined; lower floret staminate, lemma ca. 2.5 mm, 5-veined, margins membranous and ciliate, palea thinly papery, puberulous; upper lemma 5–7-veined, thinly papery, puberulous, margins ciliate, tip obtuse; anthers with a tuft of short hairs at tip. Fl. and fr. Sep–Oct. 2n = 14.

A tropical plant. It suits regions with a short growing season. It grows in areas with less than 600 mm of rainfall. It is often in hot places. (It is replaced with sorghum between 600 and 1200 mm rainfall and then by finger millet or maize above 1200 mm rainfall.) It is important in the drier areas of India and Pakistan. It can grow in arid places.

The seeds are eaten like rice. They are also ground into flour and made into bread and cakes and porridge. They are used to make alcoholic drinks. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer. They are mixed with other grains and seeds to make fermented foods. Some kinds have sweet stalks that are chewed. The young ears can be roasted and eaten like sweet corn. The plant is also infested by a fungus which is eaten.

Plants are grown from seed. It is usually sown directly into the field. The plant density is adjusted to suit rainfall and soil fertility. The spacing is 45 cm apart up to 200 cm apart. It is also intercropped with other crops such as cowpea, sorghum and peanut. Crops are normally weeded 2 or 3 times.