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[<eureka AT hctc.net>]

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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