Culms (stalks) are generally rigid and upright to about 60 cm (2 feet) and have short
internodes. Longer culms become recumbent (lay down) developing young vertical culms from the nodes. These young culms may root.
Acicular to linear leaves are upright and positioned alternate along the culm at nodes. Leaves excrete salts through specialized
salt glands that are a component of D. palmeri leaf anatomy.[5][6] These excreted surface salts are wicked away by breezes. Insects of the
grasshopper family visit the plant. When maintained in a greenhouse, it is susceptible to
aphid infestation.
Anemophilous flowers emerge late winter. At
anthesis, males liberate light
chartreuse colored pollen in breezes. Female flowers are
panicles of alternate
spikelets that present lavender colored
styles and stigmas.[1][2][3] Kernels (
seeds) are mature in early spring.[3] Each panicle produces 20-30 mature
caryopses.[3] Kernels are similar to those of
farro in color and size. Kernels of Distichlis palmeri have an
indigenous history as a wild harvest grain (Nipa) consumed by the
Cocopah. Nipa grain has size, nutritional value and flavor qualities similar to other cropped
grains.[2][3][7][8][9]
In the last four decades, Nipa grain production through saline agriculture (agriculture that uses saline resources to farm halophytic
cash crops) of D. palmeri has been the subject of domestication studies.[2][3][4][10][9][11][12][13] In addition to research studies working to domesticate D. palmeri, D. palmeri has been used to manage farm drainage and proposed as a constructive use plant in
remediation of saline and
biosalinewastewaters and land.[14][15][16]
Distichlis palmeri has character to thrive within effects of our changing climate; in open hot full sun on saline irrigation in
subtropic zones, hence, it can be cropped along warming and rising coastlines[2][3][10] and is an active candidate for (bio)saline agriculture and cash crop development of Nipa grain, making it a prospective new crop for the 21st century.[6][17][18][19][20]
References
^
abobson.
"Distichlis palmeri". Cd. Obregon en Sonora, Fierro por la 200!!! (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 February 2022.
^US 4767887, Yensen, Nicholas P., "Yensen 1a", published 1988-08-30, assigned to Salt Weeds. A variety, Yensen 1a, of Distichlis palmeri, characterized by vigorous growth in salty soils, high grain yield and ideal form for harvest, and for human consumption.
^US 4767889, Yensen, Nicholas P., "Yensen 2a", published 1988-08-30, assigned to Salt Weeds. A grain variety, Yensen 2a, of Distichlis palmeri, which are characterized by vigorous growth in salty soils, high grain yield and ideal form for harvest. This grain variety has excellent taste qualities.
^From Toxicity to Profitability: Environmental Stewardship via Integrated Farm Drainage Management (IFDM), Andrews, M. (2012), Bakersfield, California
^John Leake, Ed Barrett-Lennard, Mark Sargeant, Nicholas Yensen , Johnny Prefumo (December 2002). "NyPa Distichlis Cultivars: Rehabilitation of Highly Saline Areas for Forage Turf and Grain". RIRDC Publication No 02/154. RIRDC Project No NYP-1A.{{
cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)