✵The article records the herb Millet Sprout, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, and botanical source—the single plant species Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.—and provides a detailed introduction to the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environment of this species; the characteristics of the herb Millet Sprout; its pharmacological actions; medicinal efficacy; and administration guidelines.
Fructus Setariae Germinatus (Millet Sprout)
Pinyin Name: Gǔ Yá or Sù Yá
English Name: Millet Sprout
Latin Name:Fructus Setariae Germinatus Properties and Flavor: Warm in nature, sweet or slightly bitter in taste.
Brief Introduction:Fructus Setariae Germinatus is the dried, germinated grain of foxtail millet (Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.), used similarly to Fructus Oryzae Germinatus to promote digestion in the treatment of poor appetite and dyspepsia. It is commonly known as Fructus Setariae Germinatus, Millet Sprout, Gǔ Yá, or Sù Yá. The name Gǔ Yá is recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (CP); Sù Yá appears in the Dictionary of Chinese Traditional Medicine (DCTM) and the Compendium of Herbal Medicine and Materia Medica (CHMM). Both refer to the same herb—the sprouted grain of foxtail millet.
Botanical Source: Classical herbal texts define Fructus Setariae Germinatus (Millet Sprout) as the dried, germinated grains of Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv. It is a species of the genus Setaria P. Beauv., family Poaceae (Gramineae, grass family), order Poales. This widely used species is described below:
(1) Setaria italica (L.) Beauv.
Botanical Description: The plant Setaria italica (L.) Beauv. is also known as Panicum italicum L., commonly called foxtail millet, guzi, or xiaomi. It is an annual grass with thick, fibrous roots. Culms are stout, erect, and reach 0.1–1 m in height or more. Leaf sheaths loosely envelop the stem and are either densely covered with warty hairs or glabrous; hairs are dense near the leaf blade margin and on the abaxial surface at the junction of the blade and sheath; the margin bears dense cilia. The ligule consists of a ring of cilia. Leaf blades are long-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 10–45 cm long and 5–33 mm wide; the apex is acute, the base is obtuse, the upper surface is scabrous, and the lower surface is slightly smooth.
Panicles are terete or nearly fusiform, usually pendulous, with a somewhat interrupted base, 10–40 cm long and 1–5 cm wide—size often varying among populations. The main rachis is densely pilose. Bristles are distinctly longer than or slightly longer than the spikelets, and are yellow, brown, or purple. Spikelets are elliptic or subsphaeroidal, 2–3 mm long, and yellow, red-orange, or purple. The first glume is one-third to one-half the length of the spikelet and bears three veins. The second glume is slightly shorter than or longer than three-fourths the length of the spikelet; its apex is obtuse and it bears 5–9 veins. The first lemma (lower palea) is equal in length to the spikelet and has 5–7 veins; it is thin, chartaceous, lanceolate, and two-thirds as long as the spikelet. The second lemma (upper palea) is equal in length to the first lemma, ovoid to globular, firm and hard in texture, smooth or finely wrinkled, and detaches from the base of the first lemma and glume at maturity. The surface of the lemma is not flat but slightly undulate. The stylopodium is distinct. Flowering and fruiting occur in summer and autumn.
Ecological Environment: The growth period of Setaria italica (L.) Beauv. ranges from 80 to 130 days. It exhibits drought tolerance, adaptability to poor soils, and storability, making it suitable for cultivation in arid, non-irrigated regions. China is the world’s primary producer of millet, accounting for approximately 80% of global output. Millet is widely cultivated across China.
Characteristics of the Herb: The dried millet sprouts are globular, ~1 mm in diameter. The surface is yellowish and surrounded by the lemmas and paleas; most are split, exposing primary roots (buds) ~1–3 mm long—or sometimes no primary roots are visible. After removing the husk, the caryopsis is exposed: its surface is pale yellow and smooth; the base bears a yellowish-brown plumule ~1 mm long; the endosperm is nearly white. The herb is firm in texture; the fractured surface is white and mealy, odorless, and tastes slightly sweet.
Medicinal Efficacy: Promotes digestion and harmonizes the middle energizer; strengthens the spleen and stimulates appetite. Indicated for dyspepsia and food retention (e.g., abdominal distension, fullness), halitosis associated with abdominal distension (bromopnea), and spleen- and stomach-qi deficiency manifesting as anorexia or reduced appetite. Fried millet sprout enhances digestive function and is indicated specifically for anorexia and diminished appetite. Charred millet sprout reduces food retention and stagnation; it is indicated for food retention and indigestion.
Administration of Fructus Setariae Germinatus (Sù Yá):
Reference:
Administration Guide of Fructus Setariae Germinatus (Sù Yá)
TCM Books:
(1) Internally: 9–15 grams; (2) Internally: water decoction, 3–5 qian (~9–15 grams); (3) Internally:water decoction, 10–15 grams; or prepare as fine powder and formulate into pills or powders.
Contraindications, Precautions, and Adverse Reactions: Fructus Setariae Germinatus should be avoided in cases of gastroptosis (gastric ptosis).
✵The article records the herb Millet Sprout, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, and botanical source—the single plant species Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.—and provides a detailed introduction to the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environment of this species; the characteristics of the herb Millet Sprout; its pharmacological actions; medicinal efficacy; and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Gǔ Yá or Sù Yá
Botanical Source: Classical herbal texts define Fructus Setariae Germinatus (Millet Sprout) as the dried, germinated grains of Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv. It is a species of the genus Setaria P. Beauv., family Poaceae (Gramineae, grass family), order Poales. This widely used species is described below:
Botanical Description: The plant Setaria italica (L.) Beauv. is also known as Panicum italicum L., commonly called foxtail millet, guzi, or xiaomi. It is an annual grass with thick, fibrous roots. Culms are stout, erect, and reach 0.1–1 m in height or more. Leaf sheaths loosely envelop the stem and are either densely covered with warty hairs or glabrous; hairs are dense near the leaf blade margin and on the abaxial surface at the junction of the blade and sheath; the margin bears dense cilia. The ligule consists of a ring of cilia. Leaf blades are long-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 10–45 cm long and 5–33 mm wide; the apex is acute, the base is obtuse, the upper surface is scabrous, and the lower surface is slightly smooth.
Ecological Environment: The growth period of Setaria italica (L.) Beauv. ranges from 80 to 130 days. It exhibits drought tolerance, adaptability to poor soils, and storability, making it suitable for cultivation in arid, non-irrigated regions. China is the world’s primary producer of millet, accounting for approximately 80% of global output. Millet is widely cultivated across China.
Characteristics of the Herb: The dried millet sprouts are globular, ~1 mm in diameter. The surface is yellowish and surrounded by the lemmas and paleas; most are split, exposing primary roots (buds) ~1–3 mm long—or sometimes no primary roots are visible. After removing the husk, the caryopsis is exposed: its surface is pale yellow and smooth; the base bears a yellowish-brown plumule ~1 mm long; the endosperm is nearly white. The herb is firm in texture; the fractured surface is white and mealy, odorless, and tastes slightly sweet.
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