Zizania palustris


 

This genus is one of the few true aquatic grasses.  These 
are tall grasses with broad leaves and large panicles.  Spikelets 
are 1-flowered and unisexual with staminate florets pendulous 
on the lower branches and carpellate florets stiffly erect on 
the upper branches.  Glumes are absent and lemmas on 
both sexes are awned.

1 species in MN; 1 native

Common species:
Zizania palustris  (zy zane' ee ah   pah lus' tris)

Synonyms:  Z. aquatica (misapplied to our species, occurs 
along the Atlantic coast and the lower St. Lawrence Seaway)

Common names:  northern wild rice; Lakota: psi; 
Ojibway: mahnomen

Origin and habitat:  Native; marshes, slow-moving streams, 
quiet waters of lakes

Identifying characters:  Surprisingly, this is an annual 
species that begins to die before the growing season is 
finished.  New stems and leaves are flaccid on the surface 
of lakes and streams in early summer before becoming erect 
in late summer.  Leaf blades are narrowed to an awn-like tip 
that is 1.5-9 mm long and are pubescent on both surfaces 
near the collar.  On lower blades the under-surface of the 
midvein and adjacent tissue is often raised to form a broad 
rib.  Ligules are quite large, 4-10 mm long.  Staminate lemmas 
have a long apex while carpellate lemmas have a short awn.

Comments:  This is an important crop in the north central 
region of the state, although California surpasses our yield.  
It is harvested both from cultivated paddies and from wild 
populations.  Extremely important to American Indians, wild 
rice is a nutritious food source as well as having great 
religious value.

MAPS

ADDITIONAL SPECIES IN MINNESOTA:  
None

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