Eragrostis tef
Teff (), Eragrostis tef, also known as Williams lovegrass and annual bunch grass, is an annual species of lovegrass native to Ethiopia, where it originated in the Ethiopian Highlands. It has been cultivated for its edible seeds, also called teff, since at least 1000 BCE and possibly as long ago as 4000 BCE. It is one of Ethiopia's most important staple crops. As a modern crop, it is low-yielding and susceptible to lodging; the tef shoot fly is a major pest.
Species
SPECIES
- KingdomPlantae
- PhylumTracheophyta
- ClassLiliopsida
- OrderPoales
- FamilyPoaceae
Native toDjibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen
Ethiopia.
via GBIF · Kew POWO
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Subclass of
- useful plant
- Parent taxon
- Eragrostis
Article
14 sectionsContents
- Description
- Distribution and habitat
- Ecology
- Cultivation
- History
- Modern cultivation
- Challenges and prospects
- Pests
- Uses
- Nutrition
- Patent and bio-piracy
- See also
- References
- External links
Teff (), Eragrostis tef, also known as Williams lovegrass and annual bunch grass, is an annual species of lovegrass native to Ethiopia, where it originated in the Ethiopian Highlands.<!-- Teff is a plant, which allows it to more efficiently fix carbon in drought and high temperatures, and is an intermediate between a tropical and temperate grass. The name teff is thought to originate from the Amharic word teff, which means "lost". This probably refers to its tiny seeds, which have a diameter smaller than . Teff is a fine-stemmed, tufted grass with large crowns and many tillers. Its roots are shallow, but develop a massive fibrous rooting system. The plant height varies depending on the cultivation variety and the environmental conditions.
== Distribution and habitat ==