Oryza latifolia

Desv.

PoaceaeSeeds/NutsScore: 50/100
Oryza latifolia
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) gavin_miller, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Oryza latifolia
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) gavin_miller, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Oryza latifolia
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Gustavo Marino, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Seeds

The seeds are dried in the sun, have their skins removed, and are then cooked for consumption.

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant. In Argentina it grows below 500 m above sea level.

Africa, Argentina, Asia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Central America*, Cuba*, Dominican Republic*, East Africa, Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Haiti, Mexico*, Mozambique, Myanmar, North America, Paraguay, Puerto Rico*, SE Asia, South America*, Suriname, Venezuela, West Indies*,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Antigua & Barbuda, Armenia, Angola, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Brunei, Bolivia, Brazil, Bahamas, Bhutan, Botswana, Belize, Canada, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Chile, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Algeria, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Grenada, Georgia, French Guiana, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Haiti, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jamaica, Jordan, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Comoros, St Kitts & Nevis, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, St Lucia, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Myanmar, Mongolia, Mauritania, Mauritius, Maldives, Malawi, Mexico, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Nepal, Oman, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Paraguay, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Singapore, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, Suriname, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, El Salvador, Syria, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, Taiwan, Tanzania, Uganda, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, St Vincent, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A grass. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 1-3 m tall. The flower panicle is 25-50 cm tall.

Nutrition Score: 50/100

PartMoisturekJkcalProteinVit AVit CIronZinc
Seeds 9.6—315 9.8—— ——

How to Grow

Succeeds in semi shade and full sun. Grows wild on sandy seashores, moist clay, rarely on salt flats. Plants can be in flower in all months of the year.

Propagation: Seed. The seed of wild rice less than 12 months old often exhibits strong dormancy, which implies (though this has not been established) that the seed retains its viability for a considerable period. Heat treatment is generally effective in breaking dormancy - alternating temperatures between 34°c for 16 hours then 11°c for 8 hours is usually effective, though the time taken varies between species. Surface sow the seed in light shade and do not allow to dry out. Seed should germinate within 7 days at 30°c. Prick out 2 - 3 seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle and, after a few days, move to a sunny position. Grow on until large enough to plant out.

Other Uses

The cortex/epidermis is used to cut hair. Because they are a source of resistance to or tolerance of biotic and abiotic stresses, the most important use of the various species of wild rice is probably in breeding programmes to improve the species of cultivated rice.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Oryza latifolia, the broadleaf rice, is a widespread species of grass (family Poaceae). It is native to wetter areas of Latin America and the Caribbean, and has been introduced to India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. A facultative aquatic perennial, if flooded it can adapt by growing considerably taller.

Notes

This is a tetraploid species with CCDD genome.

Names & Synonyms

Arroz, Arroz-do-campo, Capim-arroz, Matchamo

References (5)
  • J. Bot. Agric. 1:77. 1813
  • Bortolotto, I. M., et al, 2015, Knowledge and use of wild edible plants in rural communities along Paraguay River, Pantanal, Brazil. Journal or Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 11:46
  • Bortolotto, I. M., et al, 2018, Lista preliminar das plantas alimenticias nativas de Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil. Iheringia, Serie Botanica, Porto Alegre, 73 (supl.):101-116
  • Bortholotto, I. M. et al, 2021, Food Composition Data: Edible Plants of Patanal. p307 In Jacob. U.P (Eds) Local Food Plants of Brazil. Ethnobiology.
  • Plants of Haiti Smithsonian Institute http://botany.si.edu/antilles/West Indies

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