Digitaria compacta
(Roth ex Roem. & Schult.) Veldkamp
wikimedia· cc-by-sa
Wikimedia Commons - Krzysztof Golik
wikimedia· cc-by-sa
Wikimedia Commons - Krzysztof Golik
Summary
Source: WikipediaDigitaria compacta is a grass species native to India and Indochina. It is cultivated in the Khasi Hills of northeast India, used as a glutinous flour for making bread or porridge, and known as raishan. It is cultivated in maize fields by sowing in April-May and harvesting the grain in September-October; the straw is harvested later after the other crops in the field have been harvested. It is often cooked like rice or even with rice (1 part raishan to two parts rice). The straw is used for winter fodder for cattle.
Description
An annual millet grass. It grows 80-90 cm tall. The stalks have 8-12 nodes. The leaf blade is 15-30 cm long by 5-10 mm wide. The leaves are hairy. There are 5-20 flowering stalks. They are 5-10 cm long. The spikelets are in threes.
Edible Uses
The seeds are harvested and used as a cereal grain for food.
Traditional Uses
The seeds are used for food.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Distribution
A tropical plant.
Where It Grows
Asia, India, Indochina, Myanmar, Northeastern India, SE Asia,
Other Information
It is cultivated as a food.
Notes
There are about 250 Digitaria species.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Raishan
References (1)
- PROSEA (Plant Resources of South East Asia) handbook Volume 10 Cereals. p 150
