Oryzopsis hymenoides

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Indian ricegrass
White Sands vegetation in cryptobiotic crust.jpg
Indian ricegrass growing in cryptobiotic crust at White Sands National Monument
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Monocots
(unranked):
Commelinids
Order:
Poales
Family:
Poaceae
Genus:
Oryzopsis
Species:
O. hymenoides
Binomial name
Oryzopsis hymenoides
Synonyms[7]
Synonymy
  • Stipa hymenoides Roem. & Schult.[2](basionym)[3]
  • Eriocoma cuspidata Nutt.[2][4]
  • Oryzopsis cuspidata (Nutt.) Benth. ex Vasey[5]
  • Achnatherum hymenoides (Roem. & Schult.) Barkworth[2][6]
  • Eriocoma hymenoides (Roem. & Schult.) Rydb.
  • Eriocoma membranacea (Pursh) Beal 1896 not Steud. 1840
  • Fendleria rhynchelytroides Steud.
  • Milium cuspidatum (Nutt.) Spreng.
  • Oryzopsis membranacea (Pursh) Vasey
  • Stipa hymenoides Roem. & Schult.
  • Urachne lanata Trin.

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Oryzopsis hymenoides (Synonym: Stipa hymenoides, Common names: Indian ricegrass and sand rice grass) is a perennial cool-season[citation needed] bunchgrass with very narrow, rolled leaf blades.[8] It is native to western North America east of the Cascades from British Columbia and Alberta south to southern California, northeastern Mexico, and Texas. In the wild it typically grows 4 to 24 inches (10 to 61 cm) tall and 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) wide.[9]

Oryzopsis hymenoides grows in a variety of habitats from desert scrub up to ponderosa pine forests. It can live in soils from sand to clay, but it does particularly well in sand, where it is the dominant grass growing with sagebrush and may occur almost unmixed with other plants.[9] It helps stabilize shifting sand.[10]:151

Cultivation

Flowering bunch of Indian ricegrass

Indian ricegrass is an important food for livestock and for wild grazers such as bison, desert bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, pronghorns, and jackrabbits. For some of these species it is especially vital in late winter, as it produces green shoots earlier than other grasses. The seeds are heavily consumed by many rodents and birds, notably mourning doves.[9]

This tough grass is known for its ability to reseed and establish itself on sites damaged by fire or overgrazing. Much germination occurs in years with wet Aprils. It is grown in xeriscapes—cultivars are available—and will become quite large if given sufficient space. The open, spangled appearance when in flower or fruit is very attractive, especially in backlight. The flower stalk is commonly used in dry flower arrangements.[9]

Uses

In the past, the grass was a staple food of Native Americans, especially when the maize crop failed. Seed of the ricegrass was gathered and ground into meal or flour and made into bread. Since 2000, the ricegrass has been cultivated in Montana and marketed under the trade name Montina as a gluten-free grain.[11] The Zuni people used the ground seeds as a staple before the availability of corn.[12][13]

Symbol

It was officially recognized as the Nevada state grass in 1977[14][15] and as the Utah state grass in 1990.[16][17]

The Utah Section of the Society for Range Management began campaigning for a state grass in the mid-1980s, and after studying many species the field was narrowed to four candidates, Indian ricegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, galleta grass, and Great Basin wildrye. Indian ricegrass was then selected. The state-grass bill was introduced by Senator Alarik Myrin, a member of the Society, in 1989.

References

  1. ↑ Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. xi. 109 (1906) Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Syst. Veg., ed. 15 bis [Roemer & Schultes] 2: 339. 1817 [Nov 1817] Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Gen. N. Amer. Pl. [Nuttall]. 1: 40. 1818 [14 Jul 1818] Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Dept. Agric. Special Rep. 63: 23. 1883 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Phytologia 74(1): 7 (1993) Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ The Plant List, Oryzopsis hymenoides (Roem. & Schult.) Ricker ex Piper
  8. ↑ Mojave Desert Wildflowers, Pam MacKay, 2nd Ed., p287
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Tirmenstein, D. 1999. Achnatherum hymenoides. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Retrieved on 2009-04-24.
  10. ↑ Canyon Country Wildflowers, Damian Fagan, 2nd ed., 2012, Morris Bush Publishing, LLC. in cooperation with Canyonlands Natural History Association, ISBN 978-0-7627-7013-7
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Stevenson, Matilda Coxe 1915 Ethnobotany of the Zuni Indians. SI-BAE Annual Report #30 (p.67)
  13. ↑ Castetter, Edward F. 1935 Ethnobiological Studies in the American Southwest I. Uncultivated Native Plants Used as Sources of Food. University of New Mexico Bulletin 4(1):1-44 (p. 27)
  14. ↑ Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 235 Section 055. Retrieved on 2008-03-27
  15. ↑ Nevada Facts - State grass. Retrieved on 2008-03-27.
  16. ↑ Utah Code Section 63-13-5.5. State symbols. Retrieved on 2008-03-27.
  17. ↑ Utah State Symbols - Indian Ricegrass Pioneer - Utah's Online Library. Retrieved on 2010-06-29
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