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Job's tears
Scientific Name: Coix lacryma-jobi
Family: Poaceae
Category: Monocot
Growth: Graminoid
Duration: Annual, Perennial
Other Names:
Job's Tears (Coix lacryma-jobi)
Job's tears, also known as coixseed, tear grass, hato mugi, adlay, or adlai, is a tall, grain-bearing plant with a rich history and diverse uses. The plant is also known as Chinese pearl barley; however, it is not actually a type of barley.
Considerations for Pets
- The plant produces hard, bead-like structures (modified leaves) containing edible grains.
- The seeds of Job's Tears are often used for necklaces, which may pose a choking hazard if ingested.
Considerations for Children
- The plant produces hard, bead-like structures (modified leaves) containing edible grains.
- The seeds of Job's Tears are often used for necklaces, which may pose a choking hazard if ingested.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Coix lacryma-jobi
- Family: Poaceae (Grass Family) or Gramineae
- Synonyms/Alternative Names: Coixseed, Tear grass, Hato mugi, Adlay, Adlai, Adlay Millet, Adlay Seed, Chinese Pearl Barley, Coix, Cox, Coix Lachrymal, Coix Lachryma, Coix lacryma-jobi, Coix ma-yuen, Coix Seed, Coix stenocarpa, Dehulled Adlay, Herbe aux Perles, Lgrimas de Job, Coix lacrymajobi.
- Pharmaceutical Name: Semen Coicis Lachrymajobi
- Taxonomic rank: var. ma-yuen Stapf
Distribution and Habitat
- Native to East Asia and Malaysia.
- Naturalized in the southern United States, including Hawaii, Louisiana, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
- Grows in wet places in grassland in the foothills.
Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits
- Tall, grain-bearing tropical plant.
- Ornamental grass that may get 4 to 6 feet tall.
- Wide arching stems.
- Produces hard, edible seeds that mature to a uniform black.
- The plant bears its seeds inside hollow pear-shaped receptacles.
Uses
- The seeds are used to make rosaries and jewelry.
- Used as a food source, especially in Asian cultures.
- Medicinal herb, particularly in China, known for its dampness-removing properties.
- Used as a gluten-free replacement for barley.
- Used orally for allergic rhinitis, hyperlipidemia, cancer, warts, toxoplasmosis, osteoarthritis, obesity and weight loss, and respiratory tract infections.
Quirky Facts
- The plant receives its name from the hard, shiny, tear-shaped structures that contain the edible grains.
- In Cajun Catholic culture, handmade Job's Tears rosaries are gifted among family members.
- Rosaries made of Job's Tears are sometimes known as Mother Teresa's Beads.