The grains can be eaten raw, though are hard and can be bitter; boiling can reduce both of these properties. Several species are still cultivated today as food or as animal fodder, such as foxtail millet and korali (
S. pumila), while others are considered
invasive weeds.
S. italica and
S. viridis are being developed as genetic model systems for the study of
monocots and
bioenergy grasses. Other species that have been cultivated as crops include
S. palmifolia (highland pitpit) of
Papua New Guinea, where it is cultivated as a green vegetable;
S. parviflora (knot-root foxtail), historically cultivated in
Mesoamerica; and
S. sphacelata (African bristle grass) of Sudan, a "lost millet" of
Nubia. == See also ==