Tall annual or perennial. Panicle branches unisexual, the lower all male,the upper all female. Female spikelets: lemma coriaceous, tightly clasping keels of palea, awned from tip. Caryopsis linear, with elongated embryo 1/2 to as long as itself. Male spikelet: lemma membranous, acuminate to shortly awned; stamens 6.
Eastern Asia from Russian Far East to Indo-China; North America.
Species 3. Marshes and shallow water.
Chen, S.-L. 1998. Systematic studies on Zizania. In S.-T. Chiu & C.-I Peng (Eds.), Proc. Cross-strait Symp. Flor. Div. & Cons.: 199--213.
Chen, S.-L. 1991. A systematic and evolutionary study of Zizania L. (Gramineae). - Gross morphology. Bull. Bot. Res. 11/2: 59--73.
Qin, H.-Z., et al. 1990. Studies on the systematic position and evolution of Zizania L. (Gramineae). - chromosomal observation. Bull. Nanjing Bot. Gard. 1990: 28--36.
Sheng, G.-Y., et al. 1991. A systematic and evolutionary study of Zizania L. - starch grains morphology. Bull. Nanjing Bot. Gard. 1991: 31--36.
