Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum). Watercolour artwork illustrating stages of growth of proso millet. The stem at left is topped by spikelets of flowers, arranged on a raceme. The stem at right shows the development of grains. It is topped by ripening fruits, each containing one seed. Millet has been used as a food for both man and domestic animals since the Stone Age. It is an important crop in the tropics and warm temperate regions because it tolerates drought and grows well in poor soil. It takes only two to three months to produce its carbohydrate rich seed.