Botanical Name: Panicum sumatrense
Family: Poaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Poales
Genus: Panicum
Species: P. sumatrense
Synonyms:
Panicum sumatrense subsp. psilopodium
Panicum simplex Willd. ex Spreng.
Panicum simplex Rottler ex Trin.
Panicum royleanum Nees ex Duthie
Panicum psilopodium var. epaleatum
Panicum psilopodium var. coloratum
Panicum psilopodium Trin.
Panicum paianum var. minus
Panicum miliare var. hirtum
Panicum miliaceum var. attenuatum
Panicum flexuosum Retz.
Panicum crispum Llanos
Panicum attenuatum (Moench) Willd.
Panicum attenuatum (Moench) Moench
Panicum albidulum Steud.
Milium attenuatum Moench
Common Names: Little millet,
Hindi: Moraiyo, Kutki, Shavan.
Bengali : Sama.
Tamil : Samai.
Gujarati : Gajro, Kuri.
Telugu : Samalu.
Marathi : Sava, Halvi, Vari.
Oriya : Suan.
Kannada : Saame
Habitat : Panicum sumatrense grows in the temperate zones of Asia: the Caucasus, China, East Asia and also in the tropics of the continent: India, Indochina and Malaysia. It can withstand both drought and waterlogging. It can be cultivated up to 2000 m above sea level.
Description:
Panicum sumatrense is an annual herbaceous plant, which grows straight or with folded blades to a height of 30 cm to 1 m. The leaves are linear, with the sometimes hairy laminae and membranous hairy ligules. The panicles are from 4 to 15 cm in length with 2 to 3.5 mm long awn. The grain is round and smooth, 1.8 to 1.9 mm long. This species of cereal is similar in habit to the proso millet except that it is smaller.
Edible Uses: Little millet is cooked like rice. Sometimes the millet is also milled and baked. The protein content of the grain is 7.7%.
Medicinal Uses:
Fresh juice (ca. 10 ml) with a pinch of common salt is given 3-times a day for 3 days as refrigerant during suffering from
smallpox by the Lodhas. Fresh root (ca. 50 gm) is made into a paste with black pepper (Piper nigrum) (ca. 5 gm) It is given for the
treatment of scalp infection by the Asurs. Root paste (freshly prepared) warmed gently and is applied on the carbuncle to reduce pain
by the Polias.
Cultivation:
The largest cultivation is in central India. Usually, it is planted using a seed drill. It can also if necessary be planted spoiled. The green plant can also be used in part as cattle feed. The straw can be mixed with clay or cement be used in construction.
The harvest yield is from 230 to 900 kg/ha.
Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panicum_sumatrense
http://www.crdeepjournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Vol-3-3-1-IJBAS.pdf
https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panicum_sumatrense
