Botanical Name: Porteresia coarctata
Family: Poaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Poales
Genus: Porteresia
Species: P. coarctata
Synonyms:
*Indoryza coarctata (Roxb.) A.N.Henry & B.Roy
*Oryza coarctata Roxb.
*Oryza triticoides Griff.
*Sclerophyllum coarctatum (Roxb.) Griff.
Common Names: Dhani Ghas,Wild rice. Uri. Tropical wild rice
Habitat:
Porteresia coarctata is native to India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. It is a tropical plant. It grows in mangrove forests and in saline estuaries. It grows in coastal places.
Description:
Porteresia coarctata is a perennial grass, growing to 2 m (6ft) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in) at a fast rate.
The flowers are pollinated by Wind.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in saline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist or wet soil and can grow in water.
It is a form of wild rice that grows in saline estuaries in Bangladesh and India and is harvested and eaten as a delicacy. The plant is salt-tolerant, and is seen as a possibly important source of salt-tolerance genes for transfer to other rice species. It is closely related to Oryza australiensis. The leaves of this species secrete salt through special microhair like structures that have three morphotypes, and a method to isolate these structures has been developed. Porteresia coarctata is a perennial species that shows substantial underground rhizomatous growth. The rhizome tissues give out aerial shoots in a favourable season.
Cultivation:
Climate: tropical. Humidity: humid. It is closely related to Oryza australiensis. P. coarctata grows in abundance along the eastern and western coasts of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh shows considerable adaptation to salinity. Porteresia, a tetraploid (2n = 4x = 48) distant wild rice relative, is a monotypic genus occurring as an associate of mangroves along the coastal belts. Carbon Farming Solutions – Cultivation: regional crop. Management: standard (Describes the non-destructive management systems that are used in cultivation)
Propagatiion: Throuygh seeds.
Edible Uses:
Edible Portion: Seeds. Perennial grains have been a dream of the sustaiable agriculture movement for some time promising to marry the carbon and agroecological benefits of perennials to the annual staples we know and love. The task of perennializing grains is a slow and laborious process but some progress is being made. Wild rice species have proven to be tremendous gene reservoirs to increase domesticated rice yield, quality, and resistance to diseases and insects. Wild rice species have furnished genes for the hybrid rice revolution, exhibit yield-enhancing traits and have shown tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. Among the wild relatives of rice, P. coarctata shows considerable adaptation to salinity. Porteresia coarctata is currently wild-harvested and grown for erosion control and coastal protection. Carbon Farming Solutions – Staple Crop: balanced carb (The term staple crop typically refers to a food that is eaten routinely and accounts for a dominant part of people’s diets in a particular region of the world)
Mediicinal Uses:
Wild rice has very good protain value. This rice is adviced to eat for rickety children. It is chief and easily grown without any chemical fertilizer. Study proves that the rice contains high vitamin.
Other Uses:
Grown for erosion control and coastal protection. The plant is salt-tolerant, and is seen as a possibly important source of salt-tolerance genes for transfer to other rice species. P. coarctata act as pioneer species in the succession process of mangrove formation along the estuaries of India.
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/Porteresia
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Porteresia+coarctata
