Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets Panicum miliaceum - True millet, Common millet, Proso
Edible parts: Seeds, Cereal
An annual grass which grows up to 1 m high. It spreads to 15 cm across. It has a fibrous root system. The stalks are tufted. They are hairy at the base and on the nodes. The leaves are 30-50 cm long by 1-5 cm wide. They are narrow and flat. The edge is slightly rough with a few long hairs near the base. The seed head is much branched. The flower is yellow. The fruit is a grain. There are several races.
It is a temperate plant. It requires a moderately fertile well-drained soil in full sunlight. Once established it can tolerate heat and drought. It suits warm temperate and subtropical climates. Plants are frost sensitive. In Nepal it grows up to 2200 m altitude. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 5-9.