Culms (stalks) are generally rigid and upright to about 60 cm (2 feet) and have shortinternodes. 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 specializedsalt glands that are a component ofD. palmeri leaf anatomy.[6][7] These excreted surface salts are wicked away by breezes. Insects of thegrasshopper family visit the plant. When maintained in a greenhouse, it is susceptible toaphid infestation.
Anemophilous flowers emerge late winter. Atanthesis, males liberate lightchartreuse colored pollen in breezes. Female flowers arepanicles of alternatespikelets that present lavender coloredstyles and stigmas.[2][3][4] Kernels (seeds) are mature in early spring.[4] Each panicle produces 20-30 maturecaryopses.[4] Kernels are similar to those offarro in color and size. Kernels ofDistichlis palmeri have anindigenous history as a wild harvest grain (Nipa) consumed by theCocopah. Nipa grain has size, nutritional value and flavor qualities similar to other croppedgrains.[3][4][8][9][10]
In the last four decades, Nipa grain production through saline agriculture (agriculture that uses saline resources to farm halophyticcash crops) ofD. palmeri has been the subject of domestication studies.[3][4][5][11][10][12][13][14]
In addition to research studies working to domesticateD. palmeri, the species has been used to manage farm drainage and has been proposed as a constructive use plant inremediation of saline andbiosalinewastewaters and land.[15][16][17]
Distichlis palmeri can grow in open hot full sun on saline irrigation insubtropic zones; hence, it can be cropped along warming and rising coastlines[3][4][11] and is an active candidate for (bio)saline agriculture and cash crop development of Nipa grain.[7][18][19][20][21]
^abFelger, Richard Stephen (5 February 2011)."Nipa: Un Tesoro Sonorense para el Mundo" [Nipa: A Sonoran Treasure for the World].obson.wordpress.com (in Spanish). Retrieved2 February 2022.
^abcdeBresdin, Cylphine; Glenn, Edward P. (2016). "Distichlis palmeri: An Endemic Grass in the Coastal Sabkhas of the Northern Gulf of California and a Potential New Grain Crop for Saltwater Agriculture". In Khan, M. Ajmal; Boër, Benno; Ȫzturk, Münir; Clüsener-Godt, Miguel (eds.).Sabkha Ecosystems. Vol. 48. Cham: Springer International Publishing. pp. 389–396.doi:10.1007/978-3-319-27093-7_21.ISBN978-3-319-27091-3.
^US 4767887, Yensen, Nicholas P., "Yensen 1a", published 1988-08-30, assigned to Salt Weeds. A variety, Yensen 1a, ofDistichlis 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, ofDistichlis 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[full citation needed]
^Leake, John; Barrett-Lennard, Ed; Sargeant, Mark; Yensen, Nicholas; Prefumo, Johnny (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.
^Bresdin, Cylphine; Livingston, Margaret; Glenn, Edward P. (2016). "Design Concept of a Reverse Osmosis Reject Irrigated Landscape: Connecting Source to Sabkha". In Khan, M. Ajmal; Boër, Benno; Ȫzturk, Münir; Clüsener-Godt, Miguel (eds.).Sabkha Ecosystems. Vol. 48. Cham: Springer International Publishing. pp. 237–250.doi:10.1007/978-3-319-27093-7_12.ISBN978-3-319-27091-3.
^Brown, J. Jed; Glenn, Edward P.; Smith, S. E. (2014). "Feasibility of Halophyte Domestication for High-Salinity Agriculture". In Khan, M. Ajmal; Böer, Benno; Öztürk, Münir; Al Abdessalaam, Thabit Zahran (eds.).Sabkha Ecosystems: Volume IV: Cash Crop Halophyte and Biodiversity Conservation. Vol. 47. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. pp. 73–80.doi:10.1007/978-94-007-7411-7_5.ISBN978-94-007-7410-0.
