Porteresia coarctata

• Botanical Name : Porteresia coarctata (Roxb.) Tateoka
• Synonyms : Oryza coarctata Roxb.
• Common Name : Wild Rice
• Plant Family : Poaceae (Gramineae)
• Plant Form : Grasses
• Occurrence (Special Areas) : Indroda Park

About Porteresia coarctata Plant :

• Habit : A perennial grass with culms decumbent and rooting from lower nodes.
• Leaves :
  • Ligulate, ligule an eciliate membrane, coriaceous.
  • Leaf-blade surface ribbed, margins cartilaginous, spinulose, apex attenuate.
• Inflorescence and Flowers :
  • Inflorescence a panicle, contracted, lanceolate.
  • Spikelets solitary.
  • Fertile spikeletspedicelled.
  • Pedicels tip discoid.
  • Fertile spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rachilla extension.
  • Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; falling entire.
  • Spikelet callus attached transversely.
  • Glumes are both absent or obscure.
  • Basal sterile florets similar, barren, without significant palea.
  • Lemma of lower sterile floret subulate.
  • Lemma of upper sterile floret subulate.
  • Fertile lemma oblong, coriaceous, keeled.
  • Lemma apex rostrate, awned.
  • Principal lemma awn pungent.
  • Palea elliptic, coriaceous.
  • Palea apex acuminate.
  • Lodicules 2.
  • Anthers 6.
• Fruit :
  • Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong, isodiametric, biconvex.
  • Hilum linear.
• Significance :
  • A relative of Oryza (rice) found in mangrove areas in the intertidal zones in coastal areas.
  • It is saline tolerant and can tolerate water logging also.