# 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.

- **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.

## About

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.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/e06f44f1-defc-42cc-8a7a-6b16797c71b4
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/165390
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milium effusum
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/245085848/medium.jpeg (Jacy Chen, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.