Oryza sativa

Botanical Description

Oryza sativa is an erect, usually annual grass though there are also perennial forms. It varies considerably in height and habit according to variety with cultivars ranging from 30 - 180cm tall[ 1040 Title The Wild Relatives of Rice, A Genetic Resources Handbook Publication Author Vaughan D.A. Website http://irri.org/ Publisher International Rice Research Institute; Philippines Year 1994 ISBN 971-22-0057-4 Description An excellent guide to the wild species of the genus Oryza. It gives good descriptions of the species, habitats etc and often gives details of uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet ]. Rice has been cultivated in India and China for at least 4,000 years[ 238 Title Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Publication Author Bown. D. Publisher Dorling Kindersley, London. Year 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31 Description A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant. ]. It is one of the most commonly cultivated crops in the world, being grown for its edible seed in tropical to warm temperate climates around the world and forming a staple food for about half the world's human population[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ].