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  • From: <eureka AT hctc.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Additional Rice Information
  • Date: Mon, 03 Nov 2008 07:55:17 -0600

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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