Botanical Name : Oryza rufipogon
Family: Poaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Poales
Genus: Oryza
Species: O. rufipogon
Common Names: Brownbeard rice, Wild rice,Junglee rice, Basu dhan, Jhari dhan and Red rice
Habitat : Oryza rufipogon is native to East, South and Southeast Asia. It has a close evolutionary relation to Oryza sativa, the plant grown as a major rice food crop throughout the world.
Oryza rufipogon is an invasive species and listed as a ‘noxious weed’ by the United States, and also listed as a noxious weed in Alabama, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, and Vermont. According to the North American Plant Protection Association, O. rufipogon blends in with cultivated O. sativa so well that it cannot be detected. In this position it competes with the cultivated rice and uses valuable fertilizer and space. O. rufipogon sheds most of its seeds before the harvest, therefore contributing little to the overall yield. In addition, the rice grains produced by the plant are not eaten by consumers, who see it as a strange foreign particle in otherwise white rice.
Description:
Oryza rufipogon is a perennial grass with elongated rhizomes; it can grow up to 2 metres tall. The plant produces a clump of scrambling stems that form new roots at the nodes.
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). However, this species is also valuable for use as a food supplement in India and Sri Lanka, and as famine food when other crops fail. In many parts of South Asia, wild rice grains are used as an offering to Deities in the temples and can command a high price in the market where they are sold during religious festivals.
Edible Uses:
Seed – cooked. Used like rice in S. America. In Asia they are used as a traditional food by some tribal communities, as a famine food when there are no better foods available, whilst the seed is also eaten by Brahmins on days of fasting.
Medicinal Uses:
The aqueous extract of the fresh internodes is filtered. The filtrate is used as eye drop to cure irritation of the eye due to
conjunctivitis infection by the Lodhas. Fresh root paste mixed with the ‘Adarak’ paste (rhizome of Zingiber officinale) is applied to
cure orchitis by the Santals. Seed powder mixed with black pepper (Piper nigrum) paste is given as a diaphoretic agent by the Santals.
Grains are edible, used as a substitute of rice.
Other Uses:
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.
Cultivation:
Prefers an open, sunny position. Prefers a clay-loam soil and a black soil, and is able to grow in water from 20 – 400cm deep.
This species is widely believed to be the closest related species to the cultivated rice (Oryza sativa). It is spread widely through the tropics and subtropics and is considered to be invasive in many parts of Central and South America where it has become naturalized. It is considered to be a weed in rice fields, as it easily crosses with the cultivated rice, reducing its market value
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
Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oryza_rufipogon
http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Oryza+rufipogon
http://www.crdeepjournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Vol-3-3-1-IJBAS.pdf
