Pearl Millet (Cenchrus americanus (L.) Morrone)
Also classified as Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.
↑Range - Expand
| Legend | Color |
| Introduced | |
| Introduced or Not Present |
This tentative map is based on our own research. It may have limited data on Canada and/or Mexico, and there is some subjectivity in our assignment of plants as introduced vs. expanded. Read more in this blog post.
Although this plant occurs somewhere in each of these regions, it may only occur in a small part of some or all of them.
This species is native to central Africa and has been widely introduced through cultivation as a food crop. It has also been introduced in Mexico but we have yet to build this portion of its map.
↑Uses
Pearl millet is widely cultivated as a food crop. It is the most widely-cultivated type of millet, and is usually the type referred to when people say "millet" without any further descriptor.
The protein and fat content of pearl millet are higher than that of other millets, which makes it more easily digestible. These properties likely explain its dominance over other millets, but it has a higher glycemic index and lacks the benefits for blood sugar control that most of the other millets have.
As a crop, pearl millet has more tolerance of drought, low soil fertility, and high temperature than most other grains. It also can tolerate both high salinity and low soil pH, which is an unusual combination. However, it is less tolerant than some of the other millets of adverse conditions, such as browntop millet (Urochloa ramosa).
↑Links & External Resources
• Pennisetum glaucum (pearl millet) | USDA PLANTS Database (About This Site)
• Pearl Millet | iNaturalist (About This Site)
• Cenchrus americanus | Biota of North America Project (BONAP) (About This Site)
• Pennisetum glaucum | Flora of North America (About This Site)
• Cenchrus americanus (L.) Morrone (Pearl Millet) | Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora (About This Site)
• Cenchrus americanus (L.) Morrone | Plants of the World Online (POWO) (About This Site)
