The Taxonomy and the SEM Observation on Tubercles on Lemma of Yihuang Wild Rice

To distinguish the taxonomy of Yihuang wild rice found in Yihuang County, Jiangxi Province, China in 1999, the botanical characteristics of Yihuang wild rice were retrieved by genus and species; at the same time, the tubercle characters on lemma in Yihuang wild rice, O. rufipogon, O. officinalis, O. meyeriana, and O. granulata, were also observed by scanning electron microscopy. The retrieval result by genus showed that Yihuang wild rice is Leersia Soland. Ex Swartz., not Oryza L., Hygroryza Nees and Chikusichloa Koidz. The retrieval result by species showed that Yihuang wild rice is L. sayanuka Ohwi, not L. hexandra Swartz., L. japonica (Makino) Honda and L. oryzoides (L.) Swartz. The results of the SEM observation on tubercles on lemma showed that the tubercle characters on lemma of Yihuang wild rice belongs to “inlaidsilica-peak” type, which is different from the three types of wild rice existing in China, O. rufipogon, O. officinalis, O. Meyeriana, and also O. granulata, but is similar to L. tisseranti, thereby gives a proof of the above retrieval results. It could be concluded that Yihuang wild rice does not belong to Oryza L., but to Leersia sayanuka Ohwi of Leersia Soland. Ex Swartz.