Stems are dry. Panicles are bearded and hairy and may be compact or open. Seeds are large and flattened. Sballu sorghums from India have tall, slender, dry stems. Heads are loose.
Seeds are pearly white in color and late maturing, thus requiring a relatively long growing season.
Koaliang sorghums, typical of those mainly grown in China, Manchuria and Japan, have slender, dry, woody stems with sparse leaves. Panicles are wiry and semicompact. Seeds are brown and bitter in taste. Hegari sorghums from Sudan are somewhat similar to Kafirs but have more nearly oval panicles, and plants that tiller profusely. Seeds are chalky white.