About 20 species, found mostly in the humid tropics of Asia, Australia, Africa, and the Americas, are included in the genus Oryza. Oryza sativa was domesticated in Asia and accounts for the greater part of rice production today. Rice feeds more people than any other.

Rice is not a true aquatic plant and is unusual among the cereals in that its roots can thrive underwater. Thus it is an ideal plant for much of the humid tropics. There also are upland varieties that grow in less water.

The archeological record for rice is much less rich than that for wheat but present evidence indicates that rice was in cultivation in both India and China before 5000 B.C. Rice reached Japan during the second century B.C. By this time, rice already had been carried to Greece by Arab traders and was known there.

In southeastern Asia, rice is grown much as it has been for centuries, requiring tremendous human effort. It has been estimated that in some regions it takes about 1000 person hours to grow and harvest a single acre of rice.

Rice was introduced into the Carolinas in 1647 and was important in Colonial Georgia. Small amounts are still grown in Georgia but the greatest production in the United States is in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and California. More than half of the rice produced is for export. In the United States, the culture and harvest of rice highly mechanized.

The several thousand varieties of rice are divided into three subspecies, two of which are widespread. The japonica types have short grains and are sticky when cooked and the indica types are longer grained and drier when cooked. In general, the japonica types are higher yielding that the indica types.

Industrial preparation of rice, pearling or whitening removes the outer layers of the grain (the bran) and polishing sometimes follows. The product is less nutritious than brown rice, especially in the loss of vitamin B1. Absence of the latter has been associated with such diseases as beriberi among people whose diet consists almost entirely of white rice.

Wild Rice:

Wild rice, Zizania paulustris, is a grass but not closely related to cultivated rice. The species is native to the Great Lakes region of North America where it grows in wet habitats similar to those of true rice. It was an especially important food source to Native Americans of the region. It now is widely available in markets.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare):

One of the oldest domesticated crops, used mainly for animal feed. About 1/3 of worlds production used in the production of malt for brewing beer. A small amount is made into pearl barley, a frequent addition to soups.

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and Millet (Pennisetum and other genera): Both are adapted to dry conditions and are especially important in arid regions.

Forage grasses

Lawn Grasses