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Digitaria iburua

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(Redirected from Black fonio)

Digitaria iburua
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Panicoideae
Genus: Digitaria
Species:
D. iburua
Binomial name
Digitaria iburua

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

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References

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  1. ^ W.D. Clayton; M. Vorontsova; K.T. Harman; H. Williamson. "GrassBase". Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  2. ^ Prance, G.; Nesbitt, M. (2012). The Cultural History of Plants. Taylor & Francis. p. 55. ISBN 9781135958114.
  3. ^ Blench, Roger (2006). Archaeology, language, and the African past. Altamira Press. ISBN 9780759104655.