Digitaria exilis

Digitaria exilis is a species of grass that is referred to as findi or fundi in areas of Africa such as The Gambia, with the English common names white fonio, fonio millet, hungry rice, and acha rice. It is the most important of a diverse group of wild and domesticated Digitaria species known as fonio that are harvested in the savannas of West Africa. The grains are very small. It has potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable use of the land. Fonio has continued to be important locally because it is both nutritious and one of the world's fastest growing cereals, reaching maturity in as little as six to eight weeks. It is a crop that can be relied on in semi-arid areas with poor soils, where rains are brief and unreliable. The small grains make it difficult and time-consuming to remove the husk. Traditional methods include pounding it in a mortar with sand, while more recent methods include a fonio husking machine. The grains are used to make foods such as porridge.