SORGHUMS. 



109 



The panicle varies considerably from the small, compact 

 type in which the rachis is almost as long as the panicle to the 

 Broom-corn type, in which the rachis is only one-fifth the 

 length of the branches. 



^eeds. — The shape of the seed varies from round in the 

 Kaffir, Ivowhang, and Shallu groups, to somewhat pear-shaped 

 in certain of the sweet sorghums, fairly flattened in Milo, and 

 decidedly flat in the Durras. The astringency of the dark 

 coated varieties is due to the presence of small amounts of 

 tannin. The distribution of horny starch and starchy endos- 

 perm somewhat resembles maize, in that the soft starch is 

 surrounded by horny starch.' 



The United States Department of Agriculture has analysed 

 the kafiir kernel on similar lines to those employed in the 

 analysis of the maize kernel at Illinois University. Except 

 for the high ether extract found in the bran of kaffir the 

 analyses are very similar, viz. ; — 



Comparison of Kaffir and Maize Separations. 



