Abstract: Different plants has different phytolith. There are three types of phytoliths which maybe used to identify Oryza genera. They are special fan-shape, dumbbell shape parallel to each other along the long axes, and special phytolith from caryopses of rice. In order to research their identified characters for race or even sub-race, the modern caryopses of japonica rice, indica rice and common wild rice (O. rufipogon Griff. ). The conclusions can be summarized as follows: 1 ) The shape of phytolith from caryopses of rice may be described as bumps like mound shape with foamed-netted stripes, and with smooth edges. On projecting part of them, there are double nipples; 2 ) The nipples of cultivated japonica rice are blunter and smaller than indica rice; 3 ) the characteristics of common wild rice are between them.

Key words: caryopses, discrimination by shape, phytolith, rice origin

关键词: 颖壳, 形态鉴定, 硅石, 水稻起源