wild rice

wild rice
1. a tall aquatic grass, Zizania aquatica, of northeastern North America.
2. the grain of this plant, used for food. Also called water oats, water rice.
[1740-50]

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Coarse annual grass (Zizania aquatica) of the family Poaceae (or Gramineae) whose grain, now often considered a delicacy, has long been an important food of American Indians.

Despite its name, the plant is not related to rice. Wild rice grows naturally in shallow water in marshes and along the shores of streams and lakes in northern central North America. Cultivated varieties are now grown in Minnesota and California. The plant, about 3–10 ft (1–3 m) tall, is topped with a large, open flower cluster. The ripened grains, dark brown to purplish-black, are slender rods 0.4–0.8 in. (1–2 cm) long.

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▪ plant
also called  Indian rice, water rice, or water oats 
 (species Zizania aquatica or Zizania palustris), coarse annual grass of the family Poaceae whose grain, now often considered a delicacy, has long been an important food of North American Indians. Despite its name, the plant is not related to rice (Oryza sativa). Wild rice grows in shallow water in marshes and along the shores of streams and lakes in north-central North America. Natural stands of wild rice formerly provided a staple food of many Indians of the Midwest. Cultivated varieties of wild rice are now grown in man-made paddies in Minnesota and California, where the plants are planted and harvested on a large scale by mechanical means. Natural and cultivated stands also provide food and shelter for waterfowl and other birds.

      The wild rice plant is about 1 to 3 metres (3 to 10 feet) tall and is topped with a large, open flower cluster. The ripened grains, dark brown to purplish black, are slender rods 1 to 2 cm (0.4 to 0.8 inch) long. A closely related perennial, Z. caducifolia (or Z. latifolia), is cultivated as a vegetable in eastern Asia.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Wild rice — Wild Wild, a. [Compar. {Wilder}; superl. {Wildest}.] [OE. wilde, AS. wilde; akin to OFries. wilde, D. wild, OS. & OHG. wildi, G. wild, Sw. & Dan. vild, Icel. villr wild, bewildered, astray, Goth. wilpeis wild, and G. & OHG. wild game, deer; of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • wild rice — ► NOUN ▪ a tall aquatic American grass with edible grains, related to rice …   English terms dictionary

  • wild rice — n [U] the seed of a type of grass that grows in parts of North America and China …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • wild rice — noun uncount the seed of a grass that grows in North America, eaten as a vegetable …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • wild rice — wild′ rice′ n. 1) pln a tall aquatic grass, Zizania aquatica, of N North America 2) pln the grain of this plant, used for food • Etymology: 1740–50 …   From formal English to slang

  • wild rice — n. 1. a tall, annual, aquatic grass (Zizania aquatica) of the U.S. and Canada, found along the swampy borders of lakes and streams 2. its edible grain …   English World dictionary

  • Wild rice — Indian rice redirects here. The wildflower Fritillaria camschatcensis is sometimes also called Indian rice or wild Rice . Wild Rice Scientific classification Kingdom: Pl …   Wikipedia

  • wild rice — noun 1. perennial aquatic grass of North America bearing grain used for food • Syn: ↑Zizania aquatica • Hypernyms: ↑cereal, ↑cereal grass • Member Holonyms: ↑Zizania, ↑genus Zizania …   Useful english dictionary

  • wild rice — pelkinė zizanija statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Miglinių šeimos grūdinis, pašarinis augalas (Zizania palustris), paplitęs Šiaurės Amerikoje, jo grūdai naudojami maistui. atitikmenys: lot. Zizania palustris angl. wild rice vok. wilder Reis… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • Wild Rice River (North Dakota) — Wild Rice River Das Einzugsgebiet des Red River of the North, beide Wild Rice River sind hervorgehoben …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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