Indian Millet, Indian ricegrass
Achnatherum hymenoides

Family: Poaceae or Gramineae

What it is like

Achnatherum hymenoides (Roem. & Schult.) Barkworth is a synonym of Oryzopsis hymenoides (Roem. & Schult.) Ricker ex Piper

Achnatherum hymenoides is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. It is in flower from May to July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Height (m): 0.6

Where it is found

Sandy prairies and rocky slopes. Generally found in dry, well-drained soils, in association with a range of plants.

Western N. America - British Columbia to Manitoba, south to Texas, California and Mexico.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

North America, USA. Native to western North America east of the Cascades from British Columbia and Alberta south to southern California, northeastern Mexico, and Texas.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Seed - raw, cooked or ground into a meal and used in making bread etc, gruel and as a thickener in soups. The seeds are ground into a meal for bread and porridge. They can also be used for cakes. They can be mixed with cornmeal and used for dumplings. . The seed is rather small but when fully ripe it falls readily from the plant and is fairly easy to harvest. Another report says that the seed is rather large, but this has not been our experience. The seeds were parched over the flames of a fire in order to remove the hairs. A pleasant taste and very nutritious, it contains about 6% sugars and 20% starch. Before corn was introduced to the area, this seed was at one time a staple food for some native North American Indian tribes. Carbon Farming Solutions - Staple Crop: balanced carb (The term staple crop typically refers to a food that is eaten routinely and accounts for a dominant part of people's diets in a particular region of the world).

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 3

Several cultivars have been developed for use in restoration work on the prairies. It helps stabilize shifting sand. An important food for livestock and for wild grazers such as bison, desert bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, pronghorns, and jackrabbits.

Soil reclamation: Plants that can be grown in such circumstances an the spoil tips of mines in order to restore fertility.

Soil stabilization: Plants that can be grown in places such as sand dunes in order to prevent erosion by wind, water or other agents.

Straw: For drinking with.

New Crop: Most new crops were important wild plants until recently, although some are the result of hybridization. They have been developed in the last few, decades. What they have in common is that they are currently cultivated by farmers. Examples include baobab, argan, and buffalo gourd.

Staple Crop: Balanced carb: (0-15 percent protein, 0-15 percent oil, with at least one over 5 percent). The carbohydrates are from either starch or sugar. Annuals include maize, wheat, rice, and potato. Perennials include chestnuts, carob, perennial fruits, nuts, cereals, pseudocereals, woody pods, and acorns.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil

How it is grown

Succeeds in any moderately fertile moisture retentive soil in full sun. This species is unlikely to tolerate temperatures lower than about -5°c, and so will only be suitable for the milder areas of the country. Currently (1992) being tested for its potential as a perennial cereal for sandy soils in dry regions. This plants roots are often surrounded by a rhizosheath that harbors nitrogen-fixing organisms. These organisms probably contribute to the species' success as a colonizer. Climate: cold to warm temperate. Humidity: arid to humid. Carbon Farming Solutions - Cultivation: new crop (Describes the non-destructive management systems that are used in cultivation).

Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in situ. We have had better results from sowing the seed in a greenhouse. Only just cover the seed and it should germinate freely within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in early summer. Division in spring. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 7-10

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Perennial salt grass, Indian ricegrass and sand rice grass

Synonyms

Oryzopsis hymenoides (Roem. & Schult.) Ricker ex Piper. Eriocoma cuspidata Nutt. Eriocoma hymenoides (Roem. & Schult.) Rydb. Eriocoma membranacea (Pursh) Beal [Illegitimate]. Fendleria rhynchelytroides Steud. Milium cuspidatum (Nutt.) Spreng. Oryzopsis cuspidata (Nutt.) Benth. ex Vasey. Oryzopsis hymenoides var. hymenoides. Oryzopsis membranacea (Pursh) Vasey [Illegitimate]. Stipa hymenoides Roem. & Schult. Stipa membranacea Pursh [Illegitimate]. Urachne lanata Trin.

Indian Millet, Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides