Coix Lacryma-Jobi

One of the most amazing grasses, this ornamental plant is usually grown for its pearl-like seeds which have been used for centuries as beads for jewelry. The seeds when ripe can be any colour from pearly grey to pure black and grow with a pre-made hole through the centre. One of the most attractive ornamental plants, it is perennial in warmer countries where it can often reach ten feet tall, but is easily grown as an annual in colder climes. Finally, in the Orient, the seeds are eaten as a cereal called "Adlay".