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Eragrostis tef

Common name:	Tef	Family:	Gramineae
Author:	(Zuccagni.)Trotter.	Botanical references:	1, 50
Synonyms:	Poa abyssinica (Jacq.), Eragrostis abyssinica ((Jacq.)Link.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	N. Africa - Ethiopia. A casual in Britain.
Habitat:	A casual on waste ground in Britain.
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Poa tef[B,G,P]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Teff [P,B],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Cyperales. Renamed to Poaceae -- Grass family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Ethiopia

Physical Characteristics

Annual growing to 1m. It is hardy to zone 9. It is in flower from August to September, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Wind. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds.

Cultivar 'White Seeded': Cultivated Beds.

Edible Uses

Seed.

Seed - cooked. It is used as a cereal for making bread and as a fermented food[46, 57, 61, 183]. 'Enjera' is a fermented pancake-like bread that is a made from this grain in Ethiopia where it is a staple food[183]. The bread is spongy, soft, thin and sour tasting[183]. The seed is very small but easy to harvest[K]. Protein content is around 13%.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Succeeds in any good loam or humus-rich soil in a sunny position[1].
Tef is cultivated for its seed in Ethiopia where it is a staple crop, there are many named varieties[46, 183]. It is occasionally cultivated for its seed in Europe[50] but is more commonly grown as an ornamental[1]. Plants can mature in 4 months from seed in warm climates[160], the crop is more problematic in Britain due to the cooler summers[K]. Plants tend to lodge[160].

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse, only just covering the seed. Germination is usually very quick and free. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant out after the last expected frosts.
The seed can also be sown in situ in late April, but in cool summers this might not give a long enough growing season to ripen the crop[200].

Cultivars

'White Seeded': The very small highly nutritious seeds contain about 13% protein[183]. Their flavour is somewhat lighter than the brown-seeded form, they also contain slightly more calcium[183]. The most common cultivar grown, it should be sown densely because it is a poor weed competitor until fully grown. It is also susceptible to lodging[183]. The seed matures in 120 days from sowing and yields heavily[183].
'Brown Seeded': The very small highly nutritious seeds contain about 13% protein[183]. The flavour is somewhat richer and heartier tasting than the white-seeded form, they also contain slightly more calcium[183]. A short plant with very small heads, it matures in 120 days from sowing and yields heavily[183].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[FAO] Data (Description, Habitat, Location and Use) from the FAO's Grassland Index.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.

[57] Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.
Fairly readable but not very comprehensive. Deals with plants from around the world.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[160] Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987.
Fascinating reading, this is an annual publication. Some reports do seem somewhat exaggerated though.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Eragrostis+tef
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Eragrostis+tef

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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.