Oryza L.

Annuals or perennials, caespitose, rhizomatous or stoloniferous, bisexual. Culms herbaceous. Leaves usually auriculate; ligule an unfringed membrane, often lacerated; blade without cross-nerves. Inflorescences paniculate, open or sometimes contracted, with axes usually wavy; primary branches often simple and raceme-like. Spikelets pedicellate, disarticulating above glumes or rarely persistent, strongly laterally compressed, with 2 basal florets reduced to sterile lemmas and 1 terminal bisexual floret; pedicel apex cupuliform. Glumes rudimentary, minute, scale-like or reduced to a rim represented by a small 2-lobed cupule. Sterile lemmas equal (or slightly unequal), c. ¼–½ or less length of spikelet. Bisexual floret: lemma firmer than sterile lemmas, awnless, mucronate to cuspidate or with an antrorsely scabrous, straight to somewhat sinuous terminal awn, strongly keeled, predominantly (3–) 5-nerved, incurled, clasping lateral nerves of palea, closely papillose or colliculate, scabrous to hispid especially (or only) on nerves, the stiff hyaline hairs or spines prominent and often longer towards apex (glabrous in some species outside Australia); palea textured like lemma, 3-nerved; stamens usually 6. Caryopsis laterally compressed or terete; hilum long-linear.

Rice, especially Oryza sativa (commonly known as Asian Rice) but also another domesticated species, O. glaberrima (African Rice), is an economically important cereal grain crop and staple food in many parts of the world. It is consumed by a large part of the world's population, especially in Asia, and is one of the world's most highly produced agricultural commodities. Australian native species, e.g. Oryza australiensis, have been used in genetic and hybrid rice technology studies. As discussed by Henry et al. (2010) the Australian indigenous species have potential for domestication in some cases and have many traits of potential value for the improvement of domesticated rice. Stress tolerance (biotic and abiotic) and grain quality characteristics in the Australian populations may be useful (Henry et al. 2010). Wurm et al. (2012) investigated the milling and processing, mineral nutritional and putative cooking qualities of rice grain samples from wild populations of the Australian native species O. rufipogon and O. meridionalis; to find their suitability for bush-tucker, novelty or other wild rice enterprises. See also Henry (2019), Abdelghany et al. (2022) and references therein. "Australian wild Oryza species have potential as high-value, low-volume, culturally identified, and nutritious food, especially in gourmet food, tourism, restaurants, and value-added products" (Abdelghany et al. 2022). In 2019, trials were planned to cultivate wild rice near Darwin to establish a potential native rice industry in Australia (ABC News report: https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-04-02/native-rice-trials-set-for-the-northern-territory/10959786; 2 April 2019). An earlier ABC Science article by A. Thomas (15 October 2010):   http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2010/10/15/3038568.htm In addition to rice being a major food source (as whole grain, flour, rice milk and in processed foods) it is also used in medicinal treatments (the grain and rhizome), the grain is fermented to produce rice vinegar and wine (e.g. Japanese sake), there are uses for rice starch (e.g. in cosmetics and textiles), oil from the seed (e.g. for cooking and in soap and plastic materials), rice straw and husks (e.g. thatched roofing, stock feed, ropes, weaving (e.g. mats, hats, bags), packaging, paper production and fuel, especially in Asia and Africa), and rice grains are used in re-usable heat packs. Rice plays an important role in many cultures and features in history and design.