Back to Forage Publications

Indian Ricegrass (Oryzopsis hymenoides)

Plant Species
From Montana Interagency Plant Materials Handbook *
 By S. Smoliak, R.L. Ditterline, J.D. Scheetz, L.K. Holzworth, J.R. Sims, L.E. Wiesner, D.E. Baldridge, and G.L. Tibke

Indian ricegrass is a native, perennial bunchgrass which is widely distributed throughout the western states, particularly in the semidesert areas. Overgrazing has resulted in virtual elimination of it from rangeland.

Description

Indian ricegrass plants are from 1 to 2 feet tall. The leaves are nearly as long as the stems. The panicle has long, pedicled spikelets and lemmas with hairs that are conspicuous and silky. The seeds are plump, nearly round, black-tipped with a short awn and densely-covered with conspicuous, white hairs.

Adaptation

Indian ricegrass occurs mainly on the dry, sandy soils, and frequently is important on sand dune areas. Because of its sensitivity to overgrazing, it is now found naturally growing in ungrazed areas. Stockmen regard the grass highly as a winter feed for animals and prize the areas where it grows. It is drought-resistant and somewhat tolerant of alkaline soils.

Limitations

Freshly-harvested seed is highly dormant and should be scarified or stored for at least one year before seeding. A dormant fall seeding has produced better stands than spring plantings.

Uses

Indian ricegrass has mainly been used for range reseeding of sandy soils because of its drought resistance, palatability and capacity to grow and spread by natural reseeding.

* The Montana Interagency Plant Materials Handbook (EB69) is no longer in print, but is available for viewing in
Montana County Extension Service and National Resource Conservation Service Offices.