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Zizania palustris

L.

Northern Wild Rice

G5Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.142393
Element CodePMPOA6J030
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderCyperales
FamilyPoaceae
GenusZizania
Other Common Names
northern wildrice (EN) Zizanie des marais (FR)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-09-23
Change Date2017-02-15
Edition Date2024-09-23
Edition AuthorsAnnable, C. (1993), rev. Soteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Zizania palustris is a wide-ranging annual graminoid with two varieties in a variety of wetlands occurring in central and northeastern North America from Nova Scotia west to Alberta, Canada south to West Virginia, Kentucky, and Arkansas in the United States. It has been introduced in parts of western North America, Europe, and Tanzania. Threats include development, rights-of-way maintenance, dredging/filling, hydrological alteration, recreational activities, and invasive species. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent, large number of occurrences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Zizania palustris occurs in central and northeastern North America from Nova Scotia west to Alberta, Canada south to West Virginia, Kentucky, and Arkansas in the United States, though it is historic or presumed extirpated the much of the southern portion of its range (Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024). "All records from the western part of the Flora region reflect deliberate plantings; none are known to have persisted," though specimens and photo-based observations from western North America were found (FNA 2007). It has been introduced in parts of Europe and Tanzania. North American range extent was estimated to be over 7.7 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024). See individual entries for distribution details about the two varieties.
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are over 400 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is potentially threatened by development, rights-of-way maintenance, dredging/filling, hydrological alteration, recreational activities (especially off-road vehicles), invasive species, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Zizania palustris grows on muddy shores and in shallow water of lakes and streams, swamps, ponds, and other wetlands (FNA 2007, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024).
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
ArkansasSXYes
MassachusettsSNANo
ConnecticutSNRYes
MontanaSNRYes
KansasSNRYes
CaliforniaSNRYes
IowaSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS1Yes
New YorkS3Yes
MichiganSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
VermontS3Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
NebraskaS3Yes
OhioS1Yes
MissouriSNRYes
KentuckySHYes
West VirginiaSXYes
MaineSNRYes
IndianaSUYes
North DakotaSNRYes
WisconsinS3Yes
WashingtonSNRYes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
Prince Edward IslandSNANo
OntarioS5Yes
AlbertaS1Yes
British ColumbiaSNANo
ManitobaS4Yes
Nova ScotiaSNANo
New BrunswickS4Yes
SaskatchewanSNANo
QuebecSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationANNUAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
Minnesota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Cabin CreekSuperior National Forest6,071
Wisconsin (1)
AreaForestAcres
09012 - Round Lake Study AreaChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest3,707
References (8)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2007a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 24. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae, part 1. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxviii + 911 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. Hitchcock, A.S. 1951. Manual of the grasses of the United States. 2nd edition revised by Agnes Chase. [Reprinted, 1971, in 2 vols., by Dover Publications, Incorporated, New York.]
  4. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  5. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  6. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  8. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.