Sorghum

Sorghum
Sorghum plant
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Poales Family: Poaceae Genus: Sorghum
Species
Sorghum × almum Sorghum almum Sorghum bicolor Sorghum caudatum Sorghum × drummondii Sorghum halepense Sorghum propinquum
References
ITIS 42106 (http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=42106) 2002-09-22

Sorghum (Sorghum vulgare or Sorghum bicolor) is a grass (class Liliopsida, order Cyperales, family Gramineae), whose seeds are used to make a flour and as cattle feed. It is an important food crop in Africa, Central America, and southern Asia and is the fifth major cereal crop grown in the world (47 million hectares harvested in 1996). The largest producer is the USA.

It originated in eastern Africa and first diverged from the wild varieties in Ethiopia 5000 years ago. It is well adapted to growth in hot arid or semi-arid areas. The many subspecies are divided into four groups - grain sorghums, grass sorghums (for pasture and hay), sweet sorghums (produce sorghum syrups), and broom corn (for brooms and brushes).