Common Name:

General Information

Cenchrus prieurii is an annual, occasionally perennial grass with decumbent or tufted, ascending culms growing up to 75cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use of its edible seed.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

North Africa - Mauritania, Senegal, Mali and southern Algeria to Sudan and Ethiopia; through Arabia to Pakistan and India.

Habitat

Sandy, waste places[]. Open, sandy locations at elevations up to 1,000 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Annual/Perennial
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of semi-arid and arid regions in the tropics and subtropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,000 metres[]. It is found in areas with a mean annual rainfall in the range 200 - 500mm[].
Requires a sunny position in a light, well-drained soil[].
The plant photosynthesizes by a more efficient method than most plants. Called the 'C4 carbon-fixation pathway', this process is particularly efficient at high temperatures, in bright sunlight and under dry conditions[, ].

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or cooked. The crushed or ground grain is made into porridge[]. In India the grains are eaten raw and are used, mixed with pearl millet, for making bread[]. An important, staple food for some tribes, though for others it is seen mainly as a famine food, for use when all else fails[, ].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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