Millet

Millet, common name for several species of the grass family (see Grasses), and for their small-seeded grain, which is used to make porridge and flatbreads or as food for livestock. Millet grows in ears or heads atop stalks that range from 0.3 to 3 m (1 to 10 ft) high. It is an important food staple in most of the former Soviet republics, western Africa, and Asia, where it probably originated more than 5000 years ago. Because it ripens in 60 to 80 days, grows in less-fertile soils, and resists drought, it is widely cultivated in poorer agricultural areas. The millets usually contain less protein than wheat or rye and more protein than rice.

Among the better-known millets is common millet, or proso, which is grown as food in China, India, central and western Asia, and eastern Europe, and as feed for poultry, wild birds, and livestock in the United States. Pearl millet is the tallest millet and has the largest grains, which appear on long spikes similar to those of cattails. It is a common food in Africa, India, and Asia and is grown as fodder and silage in the United States.

Scientific classification: Millet belongs to the family Poaceae (formerly Gramineae). Common millet, or proso, is classified as Panicum miliaceum. Pearl millet is Pennisetum americanum.