Oryza glaberrima Steud.

Annual. Culms erect, spongy, up to 1 m tall. Leaf sheaths glabrous, leaf blades up to 30 × 1–1.5 cm, glabrous, margins scabrid; ligule 3–5 mm. Panicle loosely contracted, 20–25 cm; branches long, mostly simple. Spikelets obliquely inserted on pedicels, oblong, 7–9 mm, length twice width, yellow or dark brown, persistent; sterile lemmas lanceolate, 1.5–3 mm, margins sparsely ciliate, apex acuminate; fertile lemma smooth, glabrous or keel ciliate, apex with acute beak, usually awnless. Anthers ca. 1.5 mm. Caryopsis oblong, 5–6 mm. 2n = 24.

It is a tropical plant. It is grown in swamps. It grows on flood plains of savanna regions. It does best with temperatures of 30-35°C. It grows from sea level to 1,700 m altitude. It can tolerate low soil fertility. In Yunnan.

The grain can be cooked and eaten. It is also ground into flour. This is sweetened with rice flour and honey for bread. It is fermented into beer.

Plants are grown from seed. Usually seeds remain dormant for a few months after harvesting. Seed usually emerge after 4-5 days. Seed are usually broadcast without using a nursery. The juvenile stage lasts for 3 weeks then tillering occurs for 3-4 weeks.