Wood Millet
Milium effusum
The name 'effusum' means 'spread out,' referring to the wide, drooping branches of its seed-bearing panicles which resemble a delicate fountain.
- Scientific name
- Milium effusum
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Liliopsida › Poales › Poaceae › Milium
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Moist, shaded ancient deciduous and mixed woodlands, often on base-rich soils.
- Diet
- Photosynthetic (sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide).
- Range
- Europe, North America, Northern Asia
- Size
- Stems typically reach 60 to 150 cm in height.
- Lifespan
- Perennial; individual clumps can live for several years through rhizomatous growth.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Woodland clearance, excessive deer browsing, and competition from invasive plant species.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. You may safely approach and touch this grass. Be mindful not to trample the delicate woodland soil and surrounding flora while observing. No medical precautions are necessary.
Milium effusum (vernacular name American milletgrass or wood millet ) is a perennial species of grass in the Poaceae family, native to damp forests of the Holarctic Kingdom.
Photo: Jacy Chen, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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