Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn. Family - Poaceae . Common Names(s) - (finger millet, African millet, korakan, ragi). Synonym(s) - Cynosurus coracanus L., Eleusine africana Kenn.-O'Byrne, Eleusine indica susp. Africana (Kenn.-O'Byrne) S. M. Phillips, Ekeysune ticyssa Fresen, .

Answer

Score

1.01

Is the species highly domesticated?

y=-3, n=0

y

-3

1.02

Has the species become naturalized where grown?

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

1.03

Does the species have weedy races?

y=1, n=-1

y

1

2.01

Species suited to tropical or subtropical climate(s) (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) – If island is primarily wet habitat, then substitute “wet tropical” for “tropical or subtropical”

See Append 2

2

2.02

Quality of climate match data (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) see appendix 2

2

2.03

Broad climate suitability (environmental versatility)

y=1, n=0

y

1

2.04

Native or naturalized in regions with tropical or subtropical climates

y=1, n=0

y

1

2.05

Does the species have a history of repeated introductions outside its natural range?

y=-2, ?=-1, n=0

y

3.01

Naturalized beyond native range y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2), n= question 2.05

n

-2

3.02

Garden/amenity/disturbance weed y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

3.03

Agricultural/forestry/horticultural weed y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

y

2

3.04

Environmental weed y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

n

0

3.05

Congeneric weed y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

y

2

4.01

Produces spines, thorns or burrs

y=1, n=0

n

0

4.02

Allelopathic

y=1, n=0

n

0

4.03

Parasitic

y=1, n=0

n

0

4.04

Unpalatable to grazing animals

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

4.05

Toxic to animals

y=1, n=0

n

0

4.06

Host for recognized pests and pathogens

y=1, n=0

4.07

Causes allergies or is otherwise toxic to humans

y=1, n=0

n

0

4.08

Creates a fire hazard in natural ecosystems

y=1, n=0

n

0

4.09

Is a shade tolerant plant at some stage of its life cycle

y=1, n=0

n

0

4.10

Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions (or limestone conditions if not a volcanic island)

y=1, n=0

y

1

4.11

Climbing or smothering growth habit

y=1, n=0

n

0

4.12

Forms dense thickets

y=1, n=0

n

0

5.01

Aquatic

y=5, n=0

n

0

5.02

Grass

y=1, n=0

y

1

5.03

Nitrogen fixing woody plant

y=1, n=0

n

0

5.04

Geophyte (herbaceous with underground storage organs -- bulbs, corms, or tubers)

y=1, n=0

n

0

6.01

Evidence of substantial reproductive failure in native habitat

y=1, n=0

n

0

6.02

Produces viable seed.

y=1, n=-1

y

1

6.03

Hybridizes naturally

y=1, n=-1

y

1

6.04

Self-compatible or apomictic

y=1, n=-1

y

1

6.05

Requires specialist pollinators

y=-1, n=0

n

0

6.06

Reproduction by vegetative fragmentation

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

6.07

Minimum generative time (years) 1 year = 1, 2 or 3 years = 0, 4+ years = -1

See left

1

1

7.01

Propagules likely to be dispersed unintentionally (plants growing in heavily trafficked areas)

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

7.02

Propagules dispersed intentionally by people

y=1, n=-1

y

1

7.03

Propagules likely to disperse as a produce contaminant

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

7.04

Propagules adapted to wind dispersal

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

7.05

Propagules water dispersed

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

7.06

Propagules bird dispersed

y=1, n=-1

7.07

Propagules dispersed by other animals (externally)

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

7.08

Propagules survive passage through the gut

y=1, n=-1

8.01

Prolific seed production (>1000/m2)

y=1, n=-1

y

1

8.02

Evidence that a persistent propagule bank is formed (>1 yr)

y=1, n=-1

8.03

Well controlled by herbicides

y=-1, n=1

8.04

Tolerates, or benefits from, mutilation, cultivation, or fire

y=1, n=-1

8.05

Effective natural enemies present locally (e.g. introduced biocontrol agents)

y=-1, n=1

Total score:

2

Notes

Source

1.01

(1) E.coracana is known as a cultivated plant and is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics of the Old World. (2) E. coracana was domesticated 5,000 years B.P. in Eastern Africa.

(1) Phillips, S.M. 1972. A survey of the Genus Eleusine Gaertn. (Gramineae) in Africa. Kew Bulletin. Vol. 27 No. 2:251-270 (2) De Wet, J.M.J, K.E. Prasada Rao, D.E. Brink, M. H. Mengesha. 1984. Systematics and evolution of Eleusine coracana (Graminae). American Journal of Botany 71 (4):550-557.

1.02

No evidence of naturalization

1.03

(1) E. coracana subsp. africana was introduced to tropical and subtropical Australia, America, and South Asia as a weed.

(1) De Wet, J.M.J, K.E. Prasada Rao, D.E. Brink, M. H. Mengesha. 1984. Systematics and evolution of Eleusine coracana (Graminae). American Journal of Botany 71 (4):550-557

2.01

(1) AFRICA Northeast Tropical Africa: Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan; East Tropical Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda; West-Central Tropical Africa: Furundi, Cameroon, Rwanda, Zaire; West Tropical Africa: Nigeria; South Tropical Africa: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland ASIA_TEMPERATE Arabian Peninsula: Yemen

(1) http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?14992 [Cited 2008 Oct 4]

2.02

(1) AFRICA Northeast Tropical Africa: Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan; East Tropical Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda; West-Central Tropical Africa: Furundi, Cameroon, Rwanda, Zaire; West Tropical Africa: Nigeria; South Tropical Africa: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland ASIA_TEMPERATE Arabian Peninsula: Yemen

(1) http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?14992 [Cited 2008 Oct 4]

2.03

(1) Hardy to USDA Zone 9. (2) Most of the cultivated finger millet in the world is found from 500-2400 m elevation

(1) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Eleusine+coracana (2) http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/agpc/doc/gbase/Safricadata/eleucor.htm

2.04

(1) AFRICA Northeast Tropical Africa: Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan; East Tropical Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda; West-Central Tropical Africa: Furundi, Cameroon, Rwanda, Zaire; West Tropical Africa: Nigeria; South Tropical Africa: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland ASIA_TEMPERATE Arabian Peninsula: Yemen

(1) http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?14992 [Cited 2008 Oct 4]

2.05

(1) Introduced to India 3,000 years ago (2) Widely cultivated in tropical Asia and east Africa

(1) http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/agpc/doc/gbase/Safricadata/eleucor.htm (2) http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/eleusine_coracana.html

3.01

No evidence in literature of naturalization.

3.02

Don't know

3.03

A weed of cultivated lands within its native range (1) E. coracana is probably the most important weed in cultivated lands in southern Africa due to its exceptionally strong root system that makes it difficult to control mechanically. It is also a weed in many other parts of the world, namely North America, where it is listed as a weed.

(1) http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/agpc/doc/gbase/Safricadata/eleucor.htm

3.04

No evidence as an environmental weed.

3.05

(1) E. coracana subsp. africana was introduced to tropical and subtropical Australia, America, and South Asia as a weed. (2) E. indica can be weedy or invasive. (3) E. indica is a agricultural weed in the Peruvian Amazon.

(1) De Wet, J.M.J, K.E. Prasada Rao, D.E. Brink, M. H. Mengesha. 1984. Systematics and evolution of Eleusine coracana (Graminae). American Journal of Botany 71 (4):550-557 (2) http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ELIN3 (3) http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/f?./temp/~qFvull:69

4.01

(1) No evidence of spines, thorns, or burrs.

(1) Phillips, S.M. 1972. A survey of the Genus Eleusine Gaertn. (Gramineae) in Africa. Kew Bulletin. Vol. 27 No. 2:251-270

4.02

Well-studied as a food crop and not reported as allelopathic.

4.03

No evidence

4.04

(1) Cattle will graze E. coracana

(1) http://www.aluka.org/action/showMetadata?doi=10.5555/AL.AP.UPWTA.2_488&pgs=

4.05

No evidence of toxicity. (1) Cattle will graze E. coracana

(1) http://www.aluka.org/action/showMetadata?doi=10.5555/AL.AP.UPWTA.2_488&pgs=

4.06

(1) Head blast caused by Piricularia oryzae, which also attacks rice.

(1) http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/agpc/doc/gbase/DATA/Pf000235.HTM [Cited 2008 Oct 6].

4.07

(1) E. ciracana is not toxic to humans

(1) http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/agpc/doc/gbase/Safricadata/eleucor.htm

4.08

(1) Cultivated food crop.

(1) http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/agpc/doc/gbase/Safricadata/eleucor.htm

4.09

(1) E. coracana cannot tolerate shade.

(1) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Eleusine+coracana

4.10

(1) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Eleusine+coracana

(1) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Eleusine+coracana

4.11

(1) Poaceae

(1) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Eleusine+coracana [Cited 2008 Oct 3].

4.12

(1) Annual grass

(1) Phillips, S.M. 1972. A survey of the Genus Eleusine Gaertn. (Gramineae) in Africa. Kew Bulletin. Vol. 27 No. 2:251-270

5.01

5.02

(1) Poaceae

(1) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Eleusine+coracana [Cited 2008 Oct 3].

5.03

(1) Poaceae

(1) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Eleusine+coracana [Cited 2008 Oct 3].

5.04

(1) Poaceae

(1) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Eleusine+coracana [Cited 2008 Oct 3].

6.01

(1) E. coracana is known as a cultivated cereal.

(1) Phillips, S.M. 1972. A survey of the Genus Eleusine Gaertn. (Gramineae) in Africa. Kew Bulletin. Vol. 27 No. 2:251-270

6.02

(1) Produces viable seed.

(1) http://www.tmseeds.com/product/7393.html

6.03

(1) E. indica sbsp. Africana hybridizes freely with E. coracana when it occurs as a weed within the crop planting. (2) Hybrids of E. africana and E. coracana are fertile. The two taxa hybridize in Africa and derivatives of the crosses occur as weeds in cultivated fields.

(1) Phillips, S.M. 1972. A survey of the Genus Eleusine Gaertn. (Gramineae) in Africa. Kew Bulletin. Vol. 27 No. 2:251-270 (2) De Wet, J.M.J, K.E. Prasada Rao, D.E. Brink, M. H. Mengesha. 1984. Systematics and evolution of Eleusine coracana (Graminae). American Journal of Botany 71 (4):550-557.

6.04

(1) Self fertilizing (1) E. coracana is predominantly self-fertilized.

(1) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Eleusine+coracana [Cited 2008 Oct 3]. (2) De Wet, J.M.J, K.E. Prasada Rao, D.E. Brink, M. H. Mengesha. 1984. Systematics and evolution of Eleusine coracana (Graminae). American Journal of Botany 71 (4):550-557

6.05

(1) Self fertilizing (2) E. coracana is predominantly self-fertilized. (3) Wind dispersed

(1) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Eleusine+coracana [Cited 2008 Oct 3]. (2) De Wet, J.M.J, K.E. Prasada Rao, D.E. Brink, M. H. Mengesha. 1984. Systematics and evolution of Eleusine coracana (Graminae). American Journal of Botany 71 (4):550-557 (3) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Eleusine+coracana

6.06

6.07

(1) annual

(1) De Wet, J.M.J, K.E. Prasada Rao, D.E. Brink, M. H. Mengesha. 1984. Systematics and evolution of Eleusine coracana (Graminae). American Journal of Botany 71 (4):550-557

7.01

No evidence of unintentional dispersal by humans.

7.02

(1) E. coracana is cultivated in southern and eastern Africa and southern Asia.

(1) De Wet, J.M.J, K.E. Prasada Rao, D.E. Brink, M. H. Mengesha. 1984. Systematics and evolution of Eleusine coracana (Graminae). American Journal of Botany 71 (4):550-557

7.03

No evidence

7.04

No adaptation for wind dispersal

7.05

No adaptation for water dispersal.

7.06

Unknown

7.07

(1) No means of attachment.

(1) Phillips, S.M. 1972. A survey of the Genus Eleusine Gaertn. (Gramineae) in Africa. Kew Bulletin. Vol. 27 No. 2:251-270

7.08

Unknown

8.01

(1) The average finger millet grain yield under local practices of agriculture in tropical Africa is 0.25–1.5 t/ha. With improved cultivars, optimal weed control and use of fertilizers yields of up to 5 t/ha are obtained under experimental conditions. (2) Yields vary tremendously from 600-5000 kilograms per hectare

(1) de Wet, J.M.J., 2006. Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn. [Internet] Record from Protabase. Brink, M. & Belay, G. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Resources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. < http://database.prota.org/search.htm>. Accessed 6 October 2008. (2) http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/agpc/doc/gbase/Safricadata/eleucor.htm

8.02

Unknown

8.03

Unknown

8.04

Unknown

8.05

Don't know