Hungry rice, Fonio
Digitaria exilis

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

A millet grass. It is erect. It grows from seed every year. It grows about 50 cm high. It forms tillers or new shoots are the base of the stem. The leaves are narrow. They can be 15 cm long. It has 2 to 4 racemes per inflorescence. These are 15 cm long. The grains are very small and usually yellow. They are about 1.5 mm across.

There are about 250 Digitaria species. The protein content is only 6-8%.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It can grow on poor, shallow soils. It grows on the edge of the Sahel. It grows in the savannah. It can tolerate drought. It grows in arid locations. It can grow with 400 mm average rainfall. It can grow in acidic soils with a high aluminium content. It can grow in arid places. It grows in areas with a temperature between 20°C to 30°C. In West Africa it grows between sea level and 1,500 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sahel, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, West Africa

How it is used for food

The grain can be cooked for porridge or used in couscous. It can also be popped over a hot fire. It is ground into flour and used for bread and as a base for semolina.

It is harvested from about 325,000 hectares. It feeds about 3 million people during the most difficult months of the year. It is important in Guinea. It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Seeds, cereal

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. Seed are sown very close together. They probably need a temperature above 25°C to germinate.

The growing period is 3-4 months. The plants are harvested with a sickle and tied into sheaths. These are dried then threshed and hulled with a mortar. Yields of 600-800 kg per hectare are average. Some varieties reach maturity in 40 days.

Its other names

Local names

Acca, Acha, Achras, Afiohoun, Bofinhe, Couscous, Crabgrass, Eboniaye, Efoleb, Fani, Fenhe, Fim, Findi, Findo, Finger grass, Finhe, Fini, Foinye, Fonio, Fonyo, Founde, Fundenyo, Fundi, Fundo, Ipoa, Ipoaka, Ipoe, Ipogninime, Ipordapia, Ipordawan, Ii, pornKpendo, Odote, Orrote, Pei, Pende, Poaji, Podgi, Pohin, Pom, Rote, Sereme, Uante, Udute, Urote, White fonio

Synonyms

Paspalum exile Kippist; Paspalum longiflorum Cheval non Retz.; Syntherisma exilis (Kippist) Newbold;