Millet - Millet Varieties

Millet Varieties

The millets include species in several genera, mostly in the subfamily Panicoideae, of the grass family Poaceae. The exceptions, finger millet and teff, are in the subfamily Chloridoideae. The most widely cultivated species in order of worldwide production are:

1. Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) (Also known as bajra in India)
2. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica)
3. Proso millet, common millet, broom corn millet, hog millet or white millet (Panicum miliaceum)
4. Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) (Also known as ragi, nachani or mandwa in India)

Minor millets include:

• Indian barnyard millet or sawa millet (Echinochloa frumentacea)
• Japanese barnyard millet (Echinochloa esculenta)
• Kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum)
• Little millet (Panicum sumatrense)
• Guinea millet (Brachiaria deflexa = Urochloa deflexa)
• Browntop millet (Urochloa ramosa = Brachiaria ramosa = Panicum ramosum)

Teff (Eragrostis tef) and fonio (Digitaria exilis) are also often called millets, as more rarely are sorghum (Sorghum spp.) and Job's tears (Coix lacrima-jobi).