Indian ricegrass
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| iIndian Ricegrass | ||||||||||||||
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| Oryzopsis hymenoides Ricker ex Piper |
Indian ricegrass (Oryzopsis hymenoides) is a perennial bunchgrass, native to Nevada and Utah in the southwestern United States.
In the past, the grass was used as a food staple by the Native Americans, especially when the maize crop failed. Seed of the ricegrass was gathered and ground into meal or flour and made into bread.
This tough grass is known for its ability to reseed and establish itself on sites damaged by fire or overgrazing. It is a fine addition to any xeriscape and will grow quite large if given sufficient space. The open, spangled appearance when in flower or fruit is very attractive, especially in backlight.
It was officially recognized as the Nevada state grass in 1977 [1] and as the Utah state grass in 1990 [2].
The Utah Section of the Society for Range Management began campaigning for a state grass in the mid-1980s and after studying many species the field was narrowed to four candidates, Indian ricegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, galleta grass, and Great Basin wildrye. Indian ricegrass was then selected as the favorite. The state grass bill was introduced by Senator Alarik Myrin, a member of the Society, in 1989.
