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Poaceae

Pearl millet

Cenchrus americanus (L.) Morrone

Family
Poaceae
Genus
Cenchrus

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Pearl millet (Cenchrus americanus)
FlowerPhoto: Dinesh Valke, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (55)
aeb
درع
Afrikaans
Pêrelbalalagras
Arabic
ثيوم أغبر, دخن, بشنة, ذيل الثعلب الأزرق, ثمام أغبر, ذيل الفار, شعر الفار
Armenian
Աֆրիկյան կորեկ, Խոզանուկ անթավ
arz
ثيوم اغبر
Azerbaijani
Afrika darısı
Bangla
পিংগি নাটচি, বনুয়া ঘাস
Belarusian
Мяшэй шызы
Bhojpuri
बजड़ी, बजरा, बाजरा
Burmese
ကုလားဆတ်စပါး
Catalan
Mill perlat, Panís negre
Cebuano
Penicillaria
Chinese
御谷, 御穀, 金色狗尾草, 唐人稗, 珍珠粟, 禦穀, 金狗尾草, 御榖
Czech
Dochan klasnatý, Dochan psárkovitý, Kystnatka klasnatá
Divehi
ބާދިރީ
Dutch
Parelgierst, Geelrode naaldaar, Parel gierst
English
Pearl millet, Yellow foxtail, Bajra, Bulrush millet, Candle millet, Cattail millet, Dark millet, Green fox tail
Estonian
Ameerika hiidhirss
Finnish
Helmisulkahirssi, Helmihirssi, Neekerihirssi, Neekerinhirssi, Purppurasulkahirssi, Untuvaheinä
French
Mil à chandelle, Sétaire glauque
Georgian
Აფრიკული ფეტვი, Ზანგური ფეტვი
German
Perlhirse, Bajra, Mahangu, Negerhirse, Omahangu
Gujarati
બાજરો
Hausa
Maiwa
Hebrew
דוחן פנינה
Hindi
बजड़ी, बाजरा
Indonesian
Otek mutiara
Japanese
トウジンビエ, キンエノコロ
Kannada
ಸಜ್ಜೆ
Kazakh
Африка тарысы
kbd
БажэкӀэ
Korean
진주조
lah
باجرہ
Macedonian
Сив мувар
Malagasy
Bajiry
Malayalam
ബജ്റ, Pearl millet
Marathi
बाजरी
Mongolian
Сувдан хоног будаа
Norwegian Bokmål
Perlehirse, Negerhirse
Odia
ବାଜରା
Persian
ارزن مرواریدی, ارزنی
Polish
Rosplenica perłowa, Proso afrykańskie, Proso perłowe, Trawa słoniowa
Portuguese
Mexoeira
Punjabi
ਬਾਜਰਾ
Russian
Перистощетинник американский, Африканское просо, Негритянское просо, Перистощетинник сизый
Slovenian
Biserno proso
Spanish
Bajra, Bājari, Mahangu, Maiz negro, Mijo buirush, Mijo negro, Mijo perla, Panizo de Daimiel
Swahili
Mwele
Swedish
Pärlhirs, Penicillaria
Tamil
கம்பு
Telugu
సజ్జలు, సజ్జ
Thai
หญ้าไข่มุก
Urdu
موتی باجرا
war
Penicillaria
Wolof
Suuna

Synonyms

  • Alopecurus typhoides Burm.f.
  • Andropogon racemosus Poir. ex Steud.
  • Cenchrus paniceus B.Heyne ex Wall.
  • Cenchrus pycnostachyus Steud.
  • Cenchrus spicatus (L.) Cav.
  • Chaetochloa glauca (L.) Scribn.
  • Chaetochloa lutescens Stuntz
  • Chamaeraphis glauca (L.) Kuntze
  • Holcus paniciformis Roxb. ex Hook.f.
  • Holcus racemosus Forssk.
  • Holcus spicatus L.
  • Ixophorus glaucus (L.) Nash
  • Panicum alopecuroides J.Koenig ex Trin.
  • Panicum americanum L.
  • Panicum coeruleum Mill.
  • Panicum compressum Balb. ex Steud.
  • Panicum glaucum L.
  • Panicum holcoides Trin.
  • Panicum indicum Mill.
  • Panicum involucratum Roxb.
  • Panicum lutescens Weigel
  • Panicum spicatum (L.) Roxb.
  • Penicillaria arabica A.Braun
  • Penicillaria deflexa Andersson ex A.Braun
  • Penicillaria elongata Schrad. ex Schltdl.
  • Penicillaria indica A.Braun
  • Penicillaria involucrata (Roxb.) Schult.
  • Penicillaria nigritarum Schltdl.
  • Penicillaria plukenetii Link
  • Penicillaria roxburghii A.Braun
  • Penicillaria solitaria Stokes
  • Penicillaria spicata (L.) Willd.
  • Pennisetum albicauda Stapf & C.E.Hubb.
  • Pennisetum americanum f. echinurus (K.Schum.) Leeke
  • Pennisetum americanum subsp. spicatum (L.) Maire & Weiller
  • Pennisetum ancylochaete Stapf & C.E.Hubb.
  • Pennisetum aureum Link
  • Pennisetum cereale Trin.
  • Pennisetum cinereum Stapf & C.E.Hubb.
  • Pennisetum echinurus (K.Schum.) Stapf & C.E.Hubb.

and 28 more.

Flowers

In flower
January, March to June, August to November (from 21 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Photos

More in Cenchrus

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.