[Homestead] Additional Rice Information
eureka at hctc.net
eureka at hctc.net
Mon Nov 3 08:55:17 EST 2008
Lynda is correct. The endangered Texas wild rice grows
only in the San Marcos River, where I learned to kayak.
It's in the same ecosystem (Edwards Plateau, or Hill
Country as it is commonly called) in which I live, but
close to Austin.
One of my former co-workers did her thesis and is
considered the foremost expert on it, and the botanical
garden where I worked was hoping to build a refugium for
the plant. It only grows in clear, clean, fast flowing
water (with disolving limestone) so runnels of flowing
water of the correct Ph would have to be built. Because
the seed is only good for one year, it would have to be
propagated every year, and then re-introduced to the
river.
I think the only thing holding them back is the money.
Unfortunately the greatest stand of the plant is where the
river flows through a college campus, and it takes a
beating from the swimmers, tubers, and kayakers getting in
and out. I'm not sure why they don't cordon it off,
perhaps they fear drawing any attention to it will hasten
its demise. Also, I think part of the problem is the
university rebuilt the dam about four inches higher and
that was enough pressure to suppress some of the springs.
Eight years ago there was a movement among the kayakers to
get the dam removed rather than rebuilt. All these Hill
Country rivers used to be a blast to run, but developments
and golf courses have diminished the aquifer. I saw a
wonderful underwater film once that showed the river's
ecosystem, the rice, and all the Indian points at the
bottom of the river. Undoubtedly Z. texana was more
respected by and part of the diet of the local tribes.
--Sage
Way Out in Texas
On Sun, 2 Nov 2008 19:36:43 -0800
"Lynda" <lurine at softcom.net> wrote:
> No, "wild rice" isn't a real rice. Related, distantly
>but still not really
> rice (Oryza sativa and oryza glaberrima are the
>domesticated rices).
> Zizania is the genus for wild rice and the three native
>to the U.S. are z.
> palustris (Great Lakes), z. aquatica (St. Lawrence
>River) and z. texana
> (Texas but just about extinct).
>
> Lynda
> ----- Original Message -----
>From: "Rob" <becida at comcast.net>
>>
>> It's not rice?
>>
>> Rob
>> becida at comcast.net
>
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