Echinochloa colona

Echinochloa colona, commonly known as jungle rice, wild rice, deccan grass, jharua or awnless barnyard grass, is a type of wild grass originating from tropical Asia. It was formerly classified as a species of Panicum. It is the wild ancestor of the cultivated cereal crop Echinochloa frumentacea, sawa millet. Some taxonomists treat the two taxa as one species, in which case the domesticated forms may also be referred to as E. colona.

Description

An annual grass. It forms tufts. The stems are slender. It grows up to 60 cm high. Sometimes the plant has a purple tinge. In dry areas the stems can lie along the ground and root at the nodes. The leaves are narrow. They are 0.5-0.7 cm wide. The narrow towards the tip. The flower is yellow. The flower develops in the axils of the leaves. The flower has a rough texture. The flowering heads have several short thick spikes. These have 4 crowded rows of spikelets.

Edible Uses

The seed is cooked and used as a millet — it can be prepared whole or ground into a flour and used as a mush or porridge. Young plants and shoots can be eaten raw or cooked, and are commonly eaten raw with rice.

Traditional Uses

The seed is ground into flour and cooked for bread or porridge. Young shoots are eaten raw or cooked. The seeds are boiled and eaten as a substitute for rice. The seeds are ground into flour and then mixed with maize or beans before making bread. The seeds are sun dried then crushed and winnowed before being cooked with salt and eaten with beans. It is used in kreb a grain mixture eaten in Chad and Sudan.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Distribution

It grows in temperate, subtropical and tropical zones. It grows in wet areas. It grows on clayey soils. It grows on black arable soils and near swamps and the edges of streams. It grows from sea level to 2,000 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 1,700 m above sea level. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Where It Grows

Afghanistan, Africa, American Samoa, Angola, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Britain, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Caribbean, Caucasus, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Europe, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Himalayas, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kerguelen Island, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mariana Is., Marquesas, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mediterranean, Mexico, Middle East, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, North America, Northeastern India, Oman, Pacific, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Rotuma, Rwanda, Sahel, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Socotra, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Kitts and Nevis, Sudan, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tibet, Timor-Leste, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Türkiye, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Uruguay, USA, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

It can be grown from seed. Seed should be sown shallowly.

Propagation

Sow seed in early spring in a greenhouse, barely covering it. Prick seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle and plant out into permanent positions in early summer. A direct sowing in late spring may also succeed, but is unlikely to ripen a seed crop in cool, wet summers.

Other Uses

None known Special Uses

Other Information

It is cultivated.

Notes

There are about 35 Echinochloa species. They grow in tropical to warm temperate regions. Chemical composition (Sudan sample): Protein (crude) = 10.6% (dry). Oil = 5.9% (dry). Fibre (crude) = 12.3% (dry). Ash (insoluble) = 8.7% (dry). Fibre (crude) = 12.3% (dry). Carbohydrate (soluble): Starch) = 51.1% (dry). Sucrose = 1.0% (dry). D-glucose = 0.4% (dry). D-fructose = 0.4% (dry). Amino acids (g [16g N]-1): Aspartic acid = 5.2g. Threonine = 3.5g. Serine = 4.7g. Glutamic acid = 25.3g. Proline = 8.2g. Glycine = 2.6g. Alanine = 10.3g. Valine = 5.8g. Cysteine = 0.8g. Methionine = 1.6g. Isoleucine = 4.6g. Leucine = 10.8g. Tyrosine = 4.3g. Phenylalanine = 6.9g. Histidine = 2.1g. Lysine = 2.1g. Arginine = 41.g. Fatty acids (g/100g) (saturated): 14:0 = 0.1g. 16:0 = 16.9g; (saturated): 18:0 = 3.1g. 22:0 = 0.3g. 24:0 = 0.2g.; (monounsaturated): 16:1 = 0.1g. 18:1 = 27.4g. 20:1 = 0.4g; (polyunsaturated): 18:2 = 50.5g. 18:3 = 1.0g. Minerals: Sulphur = 0.11% (dry). Potassium = 0.41% (dry). Magnesium = 0.22% (dry). Calcium = 0.05% (dry). Na = 0.01% (dry). K = 0.30% (dry). Zinc = 50 mg/kg-1(dry). Iron = 108 mg/kg-1 (dry). Manganese = 28 mg/kg-1 (dry). Copper = 4 mg/kg-1 (dry). Aluminium = 88 mg/kg-1 (dry). Chemical composition (after Paton & Dunlop) (grams per 100g): Protein = 10.68g. Fat = 5.20g. Carbohydrate (soluble) = 51.16g. Fibre = 14.68g. Ash = 7.35g. Water = 10.93g. Calories = 301.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Ahibary, Arrocillo, Awnless Barnyard grass, Be-sa-myet, Be-sar-myet, Borur, Canevao, Capim-arroz, Capim-carrapicho, Capimjau, Capituva, Cham, Diffra, Diffré, Difra, Djiba-djide, Gargaro, Gervao, Grama pintada, Gramilla de rastrojo, Hama, Homa, Hualcacho, Jangli sawuk, Jervao, Karumpul, Kereib, Liendre de puerco, Nhamo, Nhantandium, Othagaddi, Pachushama, Paja de puerco, Pakud, Pasto colorado, Pasto overito, Pazun-sa-myet, Queo, Queu, Sama, Sama banso, Samo, Sanwak, Sawa, Sawan, Sawank, Sawuk, Shama millet, Shama, Soma, Tani, Varsanam pillu, Wild rice, Winnbe-sa-myet, Wunba-sa-myet, Wun-be-sar, Wundu, Zari

References (78)

• Abbiw, D.K., 1990, Useful Plants of Ghana. West African uses of wild and cultivated plants. Intermediate Technology Publications and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p 25
• ABDELMUTI,
• Al-Sodany, Y. M., et al, 2013, Medicinal Plants in Saudi Arabia: I. Sarrwat Mountains at Taif, KSA. Academic Journal of Plant Sciences 6 (4): 134-145
• Altschul, S.V.R., 1973, Drugs and Foods from Little-known Plants. Notes in Harvard University Herbaria. Harvard Univ. Press. Massachusetts. no. 22
• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 188

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