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Glite Dictionary
genus Zizania

genus Zizania

8.4
A water grass that makes edible seeds called wild rice
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒɛnəs zɪˈzeɪniə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : género Zizania
  • Wild rice belongs to the genus Zizania.

Examples

  • The genus Zizania includes several species of wild rice.

  • Several species in the genus Zizania are important to indigenous North American cultures.

  • Researchers study genus Zizania to improve wetland conservation efforts.

  • The seeds of genus Zizania are harvested and eaten as a delicacy.

  • The seeds of genus Zizania are harvested during autumn for their nutritional value.

  • Several species in the genus Zizania are cultivated for their edible grains in North America.

  • Wild rice, belonging to the genus Zizania, thrives in shallow water areas of lakes.

Synonyms

wild rice
vsgenus Zizania
  • US
4 3.3

A long dark grain from water plants that people cook and eat

is the scientific genus label for those grasses rather than the grain name
Zizania
vsgenus Zizania
  • Specialized
9.4

A group of tall water grasses whose seeds people eat as wild rice

is the same but uses a scientific name form rather than common wording
Indian rice
vsgenus Zizania
  • US
3.4

A grain that grows in lakes and rivers and is eaten like rice

is a scientific botanical term rather than a regional common name

Surface Forms

genus Zizania singular
genera Zizania plural

Morphology

genus + Zizania

This is fully compositional: 'genus' (a biological rank) combined with the taxon name 'Zizania' literally yields 'the genus named Zizania.' Scientific naming patterns like this are common across languages, so a learner who knows the constituent words can readily derive the meaning.

Etymology

Genus Zizania may come from an old Greek word for a wild grass. It names tall grasses that grow in water and drop rice-like seeds people collect, so it now refers to the plants known as 'wild rice' and their edible seeds.