Job’s tears or Coix lacryma-jobi L. is known to originate from the North East track and Myanmar per the literature. Most of the species of Northeast India are wild type and one of the most underutilized native cereal plants. There is well-known variability of the wild types which differ from each other with respect to their shape, size, color and degree hardiness of the involucres. It is grown mainly in Kharif/rainy season in Hill areas, in homesteads, gardens as well as in Jhumland. They are boiled to eat or in powder form to make the bun. They are known to be generally resistant to pest attack. However, they are very found by the birds and rodents or other animals and one of the most popular fish, poultry and animal feed in the form of leaves, seeds and husk and stem.
They are used as ornamental and known to use in traditional medicines for kidneys stone elimination, menstrual disorder, tincture or decoction for catarrhal infection and vermifuge for children. The grains of job’s tears contain a much higher percentage of protein, fats, and fibers as compare to rice as well as Nitrogen and phosphorus elements.
