Jobs Tears
Coix lacryma-jobi
Poaceae
Growth habit
Grass/Sedge
Perennation
Cultivated as annual
Native distribution
SE Asia
Biocultural value
Seeds are made into Buddhist prayer beads in Korea where it is believed that wearing the seed necklaces inproves an over-all feeling of well-being.
Location
Source of plant
Cornell Botanic Gardens
Description
Annual to 1.5m. Stems robust, erect. Leaves narrow-lanceolate, to 60x5cm. Inflorescence arching gracefully; male racemes to 5cm; spikelets to 1cm; utricles ovoid-globose, hard, to 13mm, white to grey, tinged blue to brown.
USDA Hardiness Zone
9
Special characteristics
tender perennial, other ethnobotanical uses