Cenchrus violaceus

(Lam.) Morrone

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Seed ?

The genus includes pearl millet (P. glaucum), an important food crop. Napier grass (P. purpureum) is used for grazing livestock in Africa. Several species are cultivated as ornamental plants, notably P. advena, P. alopecuroides, P. orientale, P. setaceum, and P. villosum. The cultivar 'Fairy Tails' is a recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Where to Find It

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in the desert and in dry scrubland.

Africa, Algeria, Benin, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sahara, Sahel, Senegal, South America, Sudan,

Countries: Angola, Argentina, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Chile, Cameroon, Colombia, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Algeria, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, French Guiana, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Kenya, Comoros, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Peru, Paraguay, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, Suriname, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Tanzania, Uganda, Uruguay, Venezuela, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

An annual grass in the Poaceae family growing 60-120 cm high. It is found in subtropical deserts and dry scrubland.

Names & Synonyms

Pennisetum fallax (Fig. & De Not.) Stapf & C. E. Hubb.and others

References (1)

World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

What to Eat

Where to Find It

How to Identify

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