Sorghum vulgare; great millet

Japanese: モロコシ(蜀黍) - モロコシ（英語表記）Sorghum vulgare; great millet

An annual grass of the grass family. It is also called hawk millet. It is said to have originated in the tropical regions of Africa, but has been cultivated in Asia and Africa since prehistoric times and has also been introduced to America. The stem resembles that of corn and grows to about 2.5 m. The inflorescence is a compound terminal spike, with opposite spikelets, one of which is sessile and fertile, and the other is stalked and bears only male flowers. It is mainly self-pollinating, and produces many caryopsis in the fall. There are many cultivated species, and it is widely used as food and feed. Sweet sorghum (S. vulgare var. saccharatum) is occasionally cultivated for sugar production because it produces sweet juice, and broom corn (S. vulgare var. hoki) is used to make brooms from its ears. It is said to have been introduced to Japan during the Muromachi period, and is rarely cultivated in fields, but is planted on the edges of fields and in areas with floodwaters on riverbanks. The sorghum grown in northeastern China is this variety , S. vulgare var. nervosum , and has been cultivated in China for a very long time.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

イネ科の一年草。タカキビともいう。アフリカの熱帯地域の原産といわれるが，アジア，アフリカで有史以前から栽培され，アメリカにも導入された。茎はトウモロコシに似て，2.5mぐらいになる。花序は複穂状で頂生し，小穂は対生してその片方は無柄で稔性，他方は有柄で雄花のみをつける。主として自家受粉し，秋に多数の穎果をつける。多くの栽培種があり，食料や飼料として広く利用されている。サトウモロコシ S. vulgare var. saccharatumは甘汁が出るのでまれに製糖材料として栽培され，ホウキモロコシ S. vulgare var. hokiは穂からほうきをつくる。日本には室町時代に渡来したといわれ，畑地につくられることは少なく，畑の縁，河岸の出水のある地などに植えられる。中国東北地方のコーリャン (高粱) はこの変種 S. vulgare var. nervosumで中国では非常に古くから栽培されてきた。

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