Indian Millet, Indian ricegrass

Achnatherum hymenoides

Physical Characteristics

Achnatherum hymenoides is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. It is in flower from May to July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Distribution

Western N. America - British Columbia to Manitoba, south to Texas, California and Mexico.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Seed Edible Uses: Seed - raw, cooked or ground into a meal and used in making bread etc, gruel and as a thickener in soups. The seeds are ground into a meal for bread and porridge. They can also be used for cakes. They can be mixed with cornmeal and used for dumplings. [2, 46, 85, 106, 183]. The seed is rather small, but when fully ripe, it falls readily from the plant and is fairly easy to harvest[183]. Another report says that the seed is rather large[183], but this has not been our experience[K]. The seeds were parched over the flames of a fire to remove the hairs[213]. A pleasant taste and very nutritious[85, 183], it contains about 6% sugars and 20% starch[213]. Before corn was introduced to the area, this seed was at one time a staple food for some native North American Indian tribes[213]. Carbon Farming Solutions - Staple Crop: balanced carb (The term staple crop typically refers to a food that is eaten routinely and accounts for a dominant part of people's diets in a particular region of the world) [1-1]. Foraging: Indian ricegrass was an important staple food for Native peoples of the Southwest and Great Basin. The grains are relatively large for a wild grass, high in protein, and pleasantly mild in flavor. They were traditionally parched, ground into meal, or cooked as porridge or bread. Harvesting requires effort, as each grain is tightly enclosed in two hairy scales that cling firmly, and threshing often produces more chaff than usable grain. Still, the seeds are nutritious and were widely gathered [2-3]. The plant matures early, often by late spring, providing food before many other grasses are ready. After setting seed, the plants dry and remain dormant until new leaf blades appear in late winter. The young leaves can also be eaten raw or boiled to make a grassy, vegetable-like drink, though they are of minor value compared to the seeds [2-3].

Medicinal Uses

None known

Known Hazards

None known