This species is closely related to theannual species Oriza glaberrima and Oryza barthii[].

Common Name:

General Information

Oryza longistaminata is a robust perennial grass with long, creeping, branched rhizomes. The ascending or decumbent culms, which can be 10mm in diameter, are up to 250cm long[, ].
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 (Oryza sativa, Oryza glaberrima). The edible seed of this species is sometimes harvested from the wild, or from weeds amongst cultivated rice, for local consumption. The plant is occasionally cultivated for its seed, which can sometimes be found for sale in local markets[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Senegal to Somalia, south to southwest Africa to Madagascar.

Habitat

Swamps, shallow ponds, lake and river sides, field edges and flooded grassland, in both permanently wet and seasonally inundated areas[, ]. It can colonise inundated meadows to form a blanket cover[]. Found at elevations up to 1,800 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a sunny position[]. Prefers black cotton soils, Kalahari sand, and alluvium. Plants can succeed in water up to 4 metres deep, but generally it is less than 1 metre[, ].
The plant can become a noxious weed in rice paddy fields, suppressing cultivated-rice strains[].
Plants can flower at any time of the year[].
The plant does not always set seed well, propagating itself mainly by means of its extensive rhizomes[].

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked[, ]. It is said to have a good flavour[]. It can be used as a famine food[]. The seed has an appearance similar to Asian rice (Oryza sativa)[].
Harvesting of the seed poses some difficulties, especially because the grain shatters extremely readily[]. One method is to reap the entire panicle just before it comes to maturity; alternatively, the ripe panicle is shaken over a basket or a calabash into which the grain falls[]. Another disincentive to handling the panicle is the long scabrid awns[].
The plant is considered to be a source of resistance genes to various diseases affecting cultivated rice (Oryza sativa). Resistance to bacterial leaf blight has successfully been transferred[]. It is a host plant of rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV), an important disease of Oryza sativa in Africa, but in general it is more tolerant of the disease, and some accessions are immune. The plant is a potential source of genes for the development of perennial types of Oryza sativa, which would provide a permanent ground cover and reduce erosion[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The straw, which may attain considerable length if the plant has grown in flood water, is valued for thatching[, ].

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[].

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.
Division.

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