Oryza perennis

Abstract

Oryza perennis is a common wild rice species complex composed by highly diverse members, with perennial, intermediate, and annual life cycles. O. perennis species are broadly distributed in four major geographical regions of the world. It is assumed that the Asian form of O. perennis is the ancestor of cultivated rice Oryza sativa and is important as a taxa model for studying the evolution of cultivated rice. From a biotechnology perspective, it may be a rich resource for breeding of new cultivated rice varieties. In this chapter, some aspects of O. perennis complex are reviewed.