Practical
Plants

Panicum milliaceum

European Millet

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Gramineae
Genus
Panicum
Life cycle
annual
Height
1 m
Spread
0.15 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

Seed - cooked as a whole grain or ground into a powder and used as a flour for making breads, pasta and fermented foods such as 'tempeh'[5][8][4]. A nutty flavour, it is more easily digested than many cereals because its high alkaline content counteracts acids[4]. It is also free of gluten and so, although bread made from it does not rise, the cereal is suitable for people with coeliacs disease or other gluten intolerances[K]. The seed can also be sprouted and added to salads, soups etc[4]. The seed contains about 10% protein, 4% fat[10].

Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

The seed is cooling and demulcent[7]. The cooked seed is applied as a poultice for abscesses, sores etc whilst juice from chewed seeds is applied to children's sores[7]. The seed is also incinerated and mixed with oil then used as a poultice that is said to heal sores without leaving a scar[7]. A decoction of the root is used as an antidote to poisoning by Momordica spp, it is also used to treat haematuria in women and as a bath for skin eruptions[7].

Product or use
Antidote
Product or use
Demulcent
Product or use
Poultice

Material uses

A starch from the seed is a substitute for corn starch (Zea mays). It is used for sizing textiles[2]. The leaves are a source of fibre used in paper making[11].

Product or use
Paper
Product or use
Size
Product or use
Starch

Environment

Range
N. Africa - Ethiopia to Asia. A casual in Britain.
Habitat
Waste places in Britain[3].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within a week. Prick out the seedlings into trays or individual pots and plant them out after the last expected frosts[200, K].

Cultivation

Requires a moderately fertile well-drained soil in full sun[6]. Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[1]. Tolerates heat and also drought when it is established[1]. European millet is frequently cultivated in warm temperate and sub-tropical zones for its edible seed, there are many named varieties[9][4]. Cultivation in Britain is somewhat problematic, the plants require good summers to do well and a dry period in late summer is required in order to ripen and dry the seed. We have had fairly good results on our trial grounds in Cornwall by starting the seed off early in a greenhouse, though this is a fairly labour-intensive method and therefore much less efficient than growing the more traditional temperate zone cereals[K]. Yields are also considerably lower than other cereals that can be grown in this country, although the nutritional value of millets is said to be superior to wheat, oats, etc[K].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Chakravarty. H. L. The Plant Wealth of Iraq.

    ↩

  3. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩

  4. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  5. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

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  7. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  8. Harrison. S. Wallis. M. Masefield. G. The Oxford Book of Food Plants. Oxford University Press 1975-00-00

    ↩

  9. Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.

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  10. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

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  11. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

    ↩

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