Teff
| Teff | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Chloridoideae |
| Genus: | Eragrostis |
| Species: | E. tef
|
| Binomial name | |
| Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Eragrostis abyssinica (Jacq.) Link | |
Teff (Amharic: ጤፍ), Eragrostis tef, also known as Williams lovegrass and annual bunch grass, is an annual species of lovegrass native to Ethiopia, where it originated in the Ethiopian Highlands. It has been cultivated for its edible seeds, also called teff, since at least 1000 BCE and possibly as long ago as 4000 BCE. It is one of Ethiopia's most important staple crops. As a modern crop, it is low-yielding and susceptible to lodging; the tef shoot fly is a major pest.