Distichlis palmeri
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| iDistichlis palmeri | ||||||||||||||||
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| Distichlis palmeri (Vasey) Fassett ex I. M. Johnst. |
Distichlis palmeri (Palmer's grass), or nipa grass, is a saltgrass of the family poaceae, grows in the Sonoran desert of Western Mexico, and produces a grain with some similarities to wheat. It was eaten by the Cocopah[1]. It is drought resistant and can absorb seawater. It is halophyte, the salt it absorbs is excreted from specialised cells (which aren't stomata) on the leaf surface.[2]
The United Nations Environment Report (2006) says of the plant: "It is a strong candidate for a major global food crop and could become this desert's greatest gift to the world."
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ http://www.miracosta.edu/home/kmeldahl/articles/crops.pdf
- ^ (French) Raven, Peter H. (2000). Biologie Végétale. DeBoek Université. ISBN 2-7445-0102-6.
[edit] External link
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