Abstract

Some common grasses found in the Madras Province enumerated below are recorded to be under cultivation in parts of Northern India for grain which is used as human food. The more important among these are: (1) Echinochloa colona Link. (Panicum colonum Linn.), Kan: Godde votapagante hullu; Tel: Otha yaddi, Kaproda gaddi; Tam: Karum pul, Varsanum pullu It is cultivated in the Montgomery district of the Funjab and the grain is made into a paste, called 'bot', and eaten with milk. (2) Echinochloa crus-galli Beauv (Panicum Crus-galli L.), Kan: Kadu dabhai hullu; Tel: Pedda wundu; Tam: Oothu pul. It is cultivated in parts of the Lahore district for its grain which is made into Khir and eaten. (3) Urochloa reptans Stapf (Panicum prostratum Lamk), Kan: Kovadaga hullu; Tam: Shani pullu, Muzinkam pul. The grain is collected and used as food in times of scarcity (4) Paspalidium flavidum A. Camus. (Ponicum flavidum Retz.), Tel: Uda galdi: Tam: Arisi pul. It is regularly grown in certain districts of the Bombay Province The grain will keep many years without being attacked by insects. (5) Setaria pallidefusca Stapf et Hubb. (Setaria glauca Beauv.), Eng: Pigeon or Bottle grass; Kan: Korane hullu; Tel: Nakka korra, Nariga, Koranike; Tam: Korali. It is cultivated in some parts of the Nilgiris. In parts of the Central Provinces and Chota Nagpur the grain of the wild plant is collected, while in parts of the Bombay Province the grain of the cultivated variety is used as food.

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