About Oryza glaberrima

Oryza glaberrima (African rice) is a cultivated grain distinct from its better known cousin Oryza sativa (Asian rice). African rice was independently domesticated ~3000 years ago in the Niger River Delta from its still extant progenitor, Oryza barthii. While lacking many of the agronomic and quality traits found in Asian rice, O. glaberrima is significant for its resistance to many pests and diseases and for its tolerance of drought and infertile soils. Interspecific crosses between African and Asian rice have produced cultivars with improved yield and quality traits, that have been adopted by many African countries to meet the growing need for rice as a staple food. From a scientific perspective the genome of O. glaberrima provides insight into the genetic basis of domestication and other traits by finding commonalities and differences with O. sativa. Similar to Asian rice, African rice is a diploid A-type genome, having 12 chromosomes and an estimated size of ~358 Mb.

Taxonomy ID 4538

Data source Oryza Genome Evolution Project

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