Duncan grass
Pennisetum unisetum

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

A grass. It forms tufts and keeps growing from year to year. It grows 3.5 m high. The stalks are 1.5 cm across. The leaves are firm and taper to the tip.

There are about 100 Pennisetum species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in deciduous woodland and wooded savannah in shady places from the lowlands to the mountains in West Africa.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Burkina Faso, East Africa, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Middle East, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The seeds are eaten as a cereal. They are also used to make an alcoholic drink. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer.

Edible parts

Seeds, cereal

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Ali liya, Buambua, File, Furo kogo, Himikom, Nipuiui

Synonyms

Beckeropsis uniseta (Nees) K. Schum.;