Oryza barthii

Oryza barthii
Oryza barthii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Oryza
Species: O. barthii
Binomial name
Oryza barthii

Oryza barthii is a grass in the rice genus Oryza. It is an annual and erect to semi-erect grass. It has leaves with a short ligule (<13 mm), and panicles that are compact to open, rarely having secondary branching. The inflorescence structure are large spikelets, 7.7-12.3 mm long and 2.3-3.5 mm wide, with strong awns (up to 20 cm long), usually red. The inflorescences have anthers 1.5–3 mm long.

This wild rice grows in sub-Saharan Africa, and is found in mopane or savanna woodland, savanna or fadama. O. barthii grows in deep water, seasonally flooded land, stagnant water, and slowly flowing water or pools; it prefers clay or black cotton soils, and is found in open habitats.[1] It is the progenitor of cultivated African rice, O. glaberrima[2].

References

  1. ^ Rice Knowledge Bank, Wild Rice Taxonomic information, accessed 12.18.2007. [1]
  2. ^ Linares 2002, African rice (Oryza glaberrima): History and future potential PNAS 99:16360-16365.