Digitaria iburua explained

Digitaria iburua, commonly known as iburu, is a grass species native to west and west-central tropical Africa,^[1] which is cultivated as a grain crop known as black fonio.^[2]

Iburu (D. iburua) is closely related to white fonio (D. exilis), a cereal that is more widely grown across West Africa. However, Iburu is taller than fonio, but has smaller grain than fonio. This makes harvesting the grains very labor-intensive. Iburu is mainly grown in the Middle Belt of central Nigeria, as well as in Zinder, Niger.^[3]

See also

• Digitaria compacta, raishan, used as a grain crop in northeast India
• Digitaria exilis, white fonio, also used as a grain crop in West Africa
• Digitaria longiflora, the wild progenitor of Digitaria exilis
• Digitaria sanguinalis, considered a weed around the world, but traditionally used as a grain crop in Europe

Notes and References

1. Web site: GrassBase . W.D. Clayton . M. Vorontsova . Maria Vorontsova (botanist). K.T. Harman . H. Williamson . 6 February 2015.
2. Book: Prance, G. . Nesbitt, M. . 2012 . The Cultural History of Plants . Taylor & Francis . 9781135958114 . 55.
3. Book: Blench, Roger. Archaeology, language, and the African past. Altamira Press. 2006. 9780759104655.