Stems to 2 m tall, thick, arching. Leaves to about 1.5 m long, 1.5-2.5 cm wide.inflorescence a panicle, usually pendulous, to about 40 cm long. Spikelets to about 1 cm long. Lemma rough. Palea rough, pointed to awned.
SE Asia
The exact origin of O. sativa is not known although it is probably a cultigen derived from a diverse group of forms originating by hybridisation. It was possibly derived from several centres (Lower Yangtze, Thailand, and Northern India) around 7000 years ago. The main diagnostic character is that the grains do not fall off at maturity.
The unhusked grain is called paddy. Cultivars are selected for growth either in water or on dry land. Different cultivars are suitable for different kinds of cooking and varieties are bought as long grain, short grain etc. The husks, which contain protein and vitamins are sometimes removed; the grain is then referred to as polished rice.The husks are used as cattle feed. Rice flour is used for breakfast foods and starch, or the grain is fermented to make beer or sake. Straw is used for seagrass matting or as fodder.
The Ricegrowers Association of Australia Inc. states that over 1 million tonnes of rice are produced in Australia each year. Australian rice is mainly produced in the Murray Valley in Victoria and the New South Wales Riverina region which includes the Murrumbidgee and Coleambally Irrigation Areas. Eighty per cent of rice produced in Australia is of medium grain Japonica varieties.The remainder are long grain Indica type varieties, including fragrant rice. 'Amaroo' and 'Millin' are the most popular medium grain varieties and 'Langi' is the largest selling long grain. Australia also produces shorter grain varieties, such as 'Koshihikari' specifically for the Japanese market. New improved varieties are constantly being developed through an extensive rice breeding program at Yanco Agricultural Institute, jointly funded by the rice industry and the New South Wales Department of Agriculture. More than 40 000 trial plots of varieties and sub-varieties are grown each year. Although Australian rice only represents around 0.2% of world rice production, our exports represent over 4% of world trade. Australia exports around 85% of annual production as value-added packaged and branded Australian products. For the year 1998-9 rice was Australia's third largest cereal grain export, and the 9th largest agricultural export. Each year the industry earns around $800 million in gross sales revenue, which includes nearly $500 million from exports. Rice was the second most significant grain crop in gross farm return figures in New South Wales and third in Australia (ABS). (Information here is from Dr Roy Powell, Senior Lecturer in Agricultural Economics and Business Management, Centre for Agriculture and Regional Economics, University of New England, Ricegrowers Association of Australia web site).
Source: (2005). Poaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.
