Definition

Noun: * A specific variety of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) characterized by slender, dry stalks and small, hard grains. It is a cereal grass originally introduced to the United States from India.

Usage Notes

• This term is a specific botanical name for a cultivated plant variety. It is primarily used in agricultural, botanical, and historical contexts.
• It is a compound noun that functions as a single unit to name this particular plant. The words are typically not separated in standard usage.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The farmer decided to plant Sorghum vulgare rosburghii because of its drought resistance.
  • Sorghum vulgare rosburghii was an important introduction for dryland farming in certain regions.

Advanced Usage

• In formal botanical writing, the name may be italicized, and the species epithet () is often written in lowercase: .
• It may be referred to more broadly as a type of "grain sorghum" or "Indian sorghum" in non-scientific contexts.

Variants and Related Words

• Sorghum (n): The general genus and common name for this group of cereal grasses.
• Milo (n): A common name for certain types of grain sorghum, which may include varieties similar to .
• Durra (n): Another name for types of sorghum, particularly those from Northeast Africa and India.

Synonyms

• Indian sorghum
• Grain sorghum (specific variety)

Notes on Meaning

• This term refers exclusively to this specific botanical variety. It should not be used as a general term for all sorghum.
• The "slender dry stalks" and "small hard grains" are its defining physical characteristics that distinguish it from other sorghum varieties like those grown for syrup (sweet sorghum).

Noun

1. sorghum having slender dry stalks and small hard grains; introduced into United States from India