FoI
Adlay Millet
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Adlay Millet
ative Photo: Pravin Kawale
Common name: Adlay Millet, Job’s Tears • Assamese: কোবামণি Kauramani • Bengali: গুৰগুৰ Gurgur • Konkani: Ran jamdhlo • Gujarati: Kasi, Kasai • Hindi: संक्रू Samkru, संकलू Sanklu, गुर्लू Gurlu • Manipuri: ꯆꯅꯤꯡ Chaning • Marathi: रान जोंधळा Ran Jondhala, रानमका Ran-maka, Kasai • Tamil: காட்டு குந்துமணி Kattu kundumani • Malayalam: Kattugotampu • Telugu: Adavi guruginja • Kannada: Manjutti, ಅಶ್ರು ಬೀಜ Ashru bija • Sanskrit: Gavedhukah • Khasi: Sohriu • Mizo: Pingpih • Angami: Kesi • Nepali: भिरकौँलो Bhirakaulo, जाबे Jaabe
Botanical name: Coix lacryma-jobi    Family: Poaceae (Grass family)
Synonyms: Coix arundinacea, Coix lachryma
Adlay Millet is a coarse annual herb. The stem is erect, branched, rather coarse, and stout, and 1-2 m high. Leaves 10-45 x 1-2.5 cm, linear-oblong, heart-shaped at base, margin scaberulous, tapering at tip; sheaths to 6 cm long, hairless; ligules ovate, membranous. Flower-spikes are 6-10 cm long, erect and peduncled. The male spikelets are about 8 mm long. The capsules (fruits), enclosing the female flowers and the grains, are hard, bony, shining white or grey., shining, ovoid, about 8 mm long. The chief value of Adlay Millet lies in the edibility of the fruit. The berries are also strung as beads, used as rosaries, made into curtains, trays, bags etc. Adlay Millet is is native to the Indian Subcontinent to Taiwan and Peninsula Malaysia.
Medicinal uses: The root is used in India for menstrual disorders. In Liberia the juice from the stem is squeezed into the eye to relieve irritation due to injury.
Identification credit: Pravin Kawale Photographed in Maharashtra.
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