Nipa grass facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nipa grass |
|
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Distichlis
|
| Species: |
palmeri
|
Distichlis palmeri, also known as nipa grass or Palmer's grass, is a special type of grass. It belongs to the Poaceae family, which is the grass family. This plant grows in the hot and dry Sonoran Desert in western Mexico.
What makes this grass so interesting is that it produces a grain. This grain is similar to wheat, which is used to make bread and pasta.
Contents
A Special Desert Plant
Distichlis palmeri is a type of saltgrass. This means it can grow in salty soil. It can even absorb seawater! This is very helpful in dry places where fresh water is scarce.
The plant is also very good at handling salt. It takes the salt from the soil and then pushes it out through tiny, special cells on its leaves. This way, the salt doesn't harm the plant. Plants that can do this are called halophytes.
A Food Source from the Past
Long ago, Distichlis palmeri was a very important food for the Cocopah tribe. They lived in the western United States. They relied on this grass for its grain.
For a while, people thought this special grass had disappeared. They believed it was extinct, meaning it no longer existed.
Bringing the Grass Back
Luckily, scientists searched for the grass and found some plants still growing. This was great news!
After finding it, scientists started a special program. They worked to breed the grass to make it grow even better. They managed to increase how much grain the plants produced. At first, it only made about 5 kilograms of grain per hectare. But with their hard work, it now produces up to 2000 kilograms per hectare! That's a huge improvement.
A Future Food Crop
Because Distichlis palmeri can grow in salty soil and doesn't need much water, it's very useful. It can grow in places where other food crops cannot.
The United Nations Environment Report in 2006 said something very exciting about this plant. They called it "a strong candidate for a major global food crop." They also said it "could become this desert's greatest gift to the world." This means it could help feed many people in the future.
Scientists are still working with this grass. For example, some types of Distichlis palmeri have even been protected by US patents. This shows how unique and valuable this plant is.
