Wild rice

Manchurian Wild Rice ( Zizania latifolia )

The Wild Rice ( Zizania ) denotes a genus of grasses ( Poaceae ). Although the grass species belong to the family circle of rice (Oryza ) within the subfamily Ehrhartoideae, but make no wild forms is the same, although the fruits of some species are used as rice grains. Cultivated varieties of Z. palustris (syn. Z. aquatica var angustifolia) are under the name " wild rice ", " Indian rice " or "Canadian travelers " are commercially available. The genus name is Greek in origin of zizánion = growing in water and takes on the growing area of the grass cover. They grow often forming stands on the river, lake and pond banks in North America and East Asia.

Distribution and systematics

The genus includes four Zizania species. Zizania aquatica L., Zizania palustris L. and Zizania texana Hitchc. are native to North America. The multiannual Manchurian Wild Rice ( Zizania latifolia ( Griseb. ) Turcz. Ex Stapf. ) Grows in East Asia. The North American species are often grouped together under the name " Wild Rice ". During the one-year Z. aquatica inhabited the temperate eastern and southeastern United States along the Atlantic coast from the St. Lawrence River on Florida to Louisiana, which is also one-year Z. palustris is much more widespread. Their range includes a boreal to temperate region of Canada, the North and Midwest of the United States from the Pacific coast to the region of the Great Lakes. Only since the 1980s, the species is considered to be independent. Previously, she was aquatica as a variety of Z.. The perennial Z. texana, however, is endemic to a small region in Texas, the San Marcos River.

Features

The genus includes one or perennial water and marsh plants ( hydro and helophytes ). The hollow stems of herbaceous plants reach heights of growth between one and three meters. The plants form sowohle submersed and emersed leaves. The leaf blades do not wear ears and measure between five and 30 centimeters wide. The ungefransten ligule are between three and eleven millimeters long.

The inflorescences of monoecious and vorweiblichen ( proterogynen ) plants are large terminal panicles. All spikelets unisexual. Those with male, überhängendnen flowers are on the lower branches of the panicles, those with ascending, female flowers are at the top Rispenästen. The lemmas of the male flowers are pointed, awnless or short- awned and five annoying, the palea are three annoying. They have six free stamens. The three - to five annoying lemmas of the female flowers are awned. The guard hairs are as long or longer than many of the lemmas. The palea are keeled and two annoying. The bare ovary carry two scars. The partial inflorescences bear no glumes. The first green caryopses are between one and two inches long and almost needle -shaped. They are used when drying dark brown to black.

Use

While Z. texana for man has no significance as a food, the fruits of Z. aquatica and Z. palustris can be used, such as grain, which is mainly due to the larger Z. palustris fruits of importance. For the North American Indians played wild rice an important role in the diet. Even today, the wild rice is harvested from Chippewas. The harvest takes place from the water. By gently tapping on the the canoe hanging panicles the fruits fall to the ground and canoeing are collected. When recoil of panicles covered the remaining fruits as seeds back into the water. Meanwhile, the fruits are also introduced to Europe and acted as a " wild rice " or "Indian rice ". He is still regarded in America and Europe because of its nutty taste a delicacy and was significantly more expensive than other cereals due to difficult harvesting methods in the natural stocks. Meanwhile in North America over a large area hybrid varieties are grown and there are efforts underway to increase the crop yield by the cultivation of molds with no fall out fruit.

The Manchurian Wild Rice has been cultivated since the 10th century in northern China. Not the fruits are used, but by the infection with the smut fungus Ustilago esculenta fleshy thickened lower limbs stems are eaten as a vegetable (water bamboo).

Swell

The information comes from the sources indicated in literature and web links. In addition, the following specific sources were used: