Oryza sativa
Domestic rice
(c) Вячеслав Юсупов, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Not Native
Oryza sativa (Domestic rice) is a non-native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by Cultivated species with limited naturalization from rice-growing areas.
Domestic rice is a naturalized perennial herb found in the Great Valley at elevations below 100 meters, typically growing in wet sites. Flowering from September to November, this plant produces spikelets with elliptic flowers 6 to 11 millimeters long. Growing with erect stems 40 to 150 centimeters tall, it develops long, drooping branched inflorescences up to 50 centimeters long. Its leaves are long and narrow, measuring 15 to 35 centimeters in length and 3 to 11 millimeters wide, with smooth or slightly rough surfaces and prominent ligules 4 to 10 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Cultivated species with limited naturalization from rice-growing areas
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet sites
Elevation: < 100 m
California counties: Yolo, Orange, Kern, Butte, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Imperial, Sutter, Glenn, Yuba, Fresno, Sacramento, Tuolumne, Alameda, Los Angeles, Colusa, San Joaquin, Placer
Outside California: Texas to southeastern United States, Mediterranean, native to southeastern Asia
Bloom period
Oryza sativa blooms Sep-Nov.
How to tell it apart
vs Polypogon: Rice has six stamens in flooded fields; beard grass has three stamens with fuzzy awned heads.; vs Sporobolus: Rice grows in flooded fields with six stamens; dropseed grows on dry land with three stamens.; vs Muhlenbergia: Rice is in flooded fields with six stamens; muhly is on dry sites with three stamens.; vs Agrostis: Rice has six stamens in flooded fields; bentgrass has three stamens in moist meadows.
Frequently asked questions
Is Oryza sativa native to California?
No. Oryza sativa is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Oryza sativa bloom?
Oryza sativa blooms Sep-Nov.
Where in California does Oryza sativa grow?
Oryza sativa occurs in Yolo, Orange, Kern, Butte, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Imperial, Sutter and other counties, at elevations of < 100 m.
What plant family does Oryza sativa belong to?
Oryza sativa is in the Poaceae family, genus Oryza.
What habitat does Oryza sativa grow in?
Oryza sativa grows in Wet sites.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.