Jauvar / Broom-Corn
Sorghum bicolor
Also known as Great Millet, Suger Sorghum, Shattercane, Sorghum
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh & more
- Flowering
- Throughout the year
Plant Details
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Typical of the Poaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
Typical of the Poaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- जौवार jauvar, जवार Jowar,ज्वार jvar
- Bengali
- জোয়ার
- Tamil
- Chiruchanpakam, சோளம், சோளம் சிறுதானியம்
- Telugu
- జొన్న
- Kannada
- Apoorva champaka, Kamanda mara, Kananga mara
- Malayalam
- ജോവാർ
- Marathi
- ज्वारी Jwari
Jauvar in India
Sorghum, called जौवार (Hindi), Chiruchanpakam (Tamil), జొన్న (Telugu), Apoorva champaka (Kannada), ജോവാർ (Malayalam), ज्वारी Jwari (Marathi), is a major dryland cereal across India. Sorghum bicolor is grown across Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajendranagar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, tolerating heat and low rainfall better than most cereals.
Uses
The grain is ground into flour for jowar roti and bhakri, a staple flatbread across much of Western and Central India; the stalks and leaves are also cut as fodder for livestock.
How to Identify Jauvar
A tall, cane-like grass, often reaching two to four metres, with broad strap-shaped leaves. The grain forms in a dense, branched panicle at the top of the stem, ranging from compact to loosely spreading depending on the variety, ripening from green to straw-brown or reddish.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Broom-corn called in different Indian languages?
- जौवार (Hindi); Chiruchanpakam (Tamil); జొన్న (Telugu); Apoorva champaka (Kannada); ജോവാർ (Malayalam); ज्वारी Jwari (Marathi); জোয়ার (Bengali).
- Is jowar the same as sorghum?
- Yes — jowar is the Hindi/Marathi name for Sorghum bicolor, the same grain crop known as sorghum in English.
- Is jowar roti different from wheat roti?
- Yes — jowar flour has no gluten, so jowar roti/bhakri is denser and is typically patted out by hand rather than rolled like wheat roti.
Poaceae
Grass family
Jauvar belongs to the Poaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Poaceae
View all Poaceae →Sources: GBIF — Sorghum bicolor (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Sorghum bicolor (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)