Urochloa grass, Liverseed grass, Kuri millet
Urochloa panicoides

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

An annual millet grass. It forms loose tufts. It is 20-80 cm tall. The leaf sheaths are loose. The blades are sword shaped and 5-15 cm long by 0.5-1.5 cm wide.

There are 12 Urochloa species. Chemical composition (per grams/100g): Protein = 10.50g. Fat = 4.0g. Carbohydrate (soluble) = 42.11g. Fibre = 17.02g. Ash = 16g. Water = 8.82g. Calories = 258.

Where it is found

It grows in warm temperate places. It grows in moist grasslands and lake sides. In Africa in grows between sea level and 1,600 m above sea level. In Argentina it grows between 300-700 m above sea level. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bhutan, Botswana, China, East Africa, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Laos, Malawi, Middle East, Mozambique, Myanmar, Pakistan, SE Asia, South Africa, Southern Africa, St Helena, Sudan, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The seeds are ground into flour and then mixed with maize or beans before making bread. The seeds are sun dried then crushed and winnowed before being cooked with salt and eaten with beans.

Edible parts

Seeds, cereal

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Barajalganti, Chatta, Jalganti, Jhun, Kaadubillisaamal hullu, Kowin, Kuri, Kuriya, Lei shu wei fu cao, Podru, Sallawudu

Synonyms

Panicum helopus Trin.; Panicum hirsutum Koen. ex Roxb.; Panicum javanicum Poir.; Panicum panicoides (P.Beauvois) Hitchcock; Panicum rothii Spreng.; Urochloa helopus (Trin.) Stapf; Urochloa jinshaicola B.S.Sun & Z.H.Hu; Urochloa longifolia B.S.Sun & Z.H.Hu; Urochloa longifolia var. yuanmuensis(B.S.Sun & Z.H.Hu) S.L.Chen & Y.Z Jin; Urochloa marathensis Henr.; Urochloa pubescens Kunth; Urochloa yuanmuensis B.S.Sun & Z.H.Hu;