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The Manchurian wild rice (Zizania latifolia) belongs to Poaceae (the Grass family). It is a perennial herb that is native to Japan, as well as the Korean Peninsula, China, the Indo-China Peninsula, and eastern Siberia. This is also naturalized in Taiwan. This herb grows in lakes and rivers, forms clumps, and can reach 1-2 m in height. The stem is midair and 1.5-2 cm in across. The leaves are broad linear and fine euralia-like textured. The panicles bear on the stem apices from August to October. The upper spikelets are female and the underneath spikelets are male. The stems are swollen if the smut fungus (Ustilago esculenta) are parasitic on them. The swollen shoots are called the "Makomo-take" and used for food. The spores of smut fungus are named the "Makomo-zumi" and used as a pigment for japan. In Taiwanese Chinese, it is called "茭白筍" and in Chinese "菰" (gu).
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