Abstract: In order to clarity the agronomic and quality characters of millet, and rapidly identify its waxy or no-waxy endosperm, 11 foxtail millet cultivars were used to study the variation and correlation of agronomic and quality characters using SAS 9.3 software, and detect no-waxy and waxy types by I₂-IK stains. The results showed that the variation coefficient of single panicle weight was 20.73%, which was the largest among all the traits; the variation coefficient of the number of node was the smallest, which was 6.05%. For waxy types, single ear weight was significantly and positively correlated with grain weight per ear and milled rice rate, their correlation coefficients were both 0.98. Grain weight per ear was also significantly and positively correlated with milled rice rate, their correlation coefficient was 0.97. For no-waxy types, single ear weight was significantly and positively correlated with grain weight per ear, their correlation coefficient was 0.99, but the ear long and Long peduncle were significantly and negatively correlated with milled rice rate, their correlation coefficients were -0.94 and -0.82, respectively. The number of node had extremely significant and positive correlation with single spike weight and single spike grain weight. No-waxy types had lower gelatinization temperature, larger gel consistency and higher direct starch content than waxy millets. Stained in I₂-IK, the waxy millet grains such as ‘Xinhuangnian’, ‘Maozhuanian’, ‘Baiminiangu’ turned to be reddish brown, but for non waxy types such as ‘Jinfenggu’, ‘Fengtian501’, ‘200106’, ‘Chigu9’, and ‘9931-2-1-2’, their grains turned to be blue.