Wild Sorghum, Kamerun grass
Sorghum bicolor subsp. arundinaceum

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

A grass which lives for one year or a few years. It is a millet. It is robust and forms tufts. The stalks are 2 m tall. The flower panicles are 20-40 cm long. Plants vary considerably depending on climates. Probably now Sorghum arundinaceum (Desv.) Stapf.

There are about 20 Sorghum species. This is a complex species interlinked with Sorghum bicolor.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in swampy soils and old farm land. It grows between 50-1,400 m altitude. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 200-600 mm. It is often over limestone material. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Australia, Botswana, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo DR, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Norfolk Island, Pakistan, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The seeds are eaten and also used for beer. The stalks are used as a famine food.

It is a famine food.

Edible parts

Seeds, cereal, grains, stalks

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Abaar, Abaro, Abeet, Adar, Makhaha, Musonde, Muswenge, Sumbyo, Waet

Synonyms

Andropogon arundinaceus Willd.; Andropogon stapfii Hook. f.; Andropogon verticilliflorum Steud.; Raphis arundinacea Desv.; Sorghum aethiopicum (Hack.) Stapf; Sorghum aterrinum Stapf; Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers.; Sorghum lanceolatum Stapf; Sorghum stapfii (Hook. f.) ; Sorghum verticilliflorum (Steud.) Stapf; Sorghum vogelianum (Piper) Stapf;