Animal fonio, Guinea millet, False signal grass
Brachiaria deflexa

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

A wild millet grass. It is similar to Brachiaria ramosa. It grows each year from seed. It is a loosely tufted annual grass. It grows 15-70 cm high. The leaf blades are narrow and 4-25 cm long by 4-22 mm wide.

There are about 100 Brachiaria species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in the savannah in Africa. It is sown in the Futa Jalon Highlands in West Africa. It is rare in Swaziland. It is common at medium to low altitudes in Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe it grows up to 1,290 m above sea level. It can grow in light shade. Plants grow on clayey soils.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central Africa, Chad, Congo, East Africa, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Middle East, Mozambique, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Senegal, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

It is occasionally grown as a food plant.

Edible parts

Seeds, cereal

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Ahipody, Ahipotsy, Kamdallah, Naheke-reke

Synonyms

Brachariaria clavuliseta Chiov.; Brachiaria regularis (Nees) Stapf; Panicum deflexum Schumach.; Pseudobrachiaria deflexa (Schumach.) Launert; Urochloa deflexa (Schumach.) H. Scholz; and others