[3] O. punctata is a weed species in commercial rice growing operations although it appears to be rare in its native range.

The culm is glabrous (smooth and without hairs) and striate (parallel longitudinal grooves); it is erect or geniculately (bent like a knee) ascending and from 50–120 cm tall with 3–5 nodes.

[4][10] Leaf lamina are between 15–45 cm and 0.5–2.5 cm in length and width respectively, they are linear or narrowly elliptic, acuminate, broadest in the middle, pale green or rarely glaucous, slightly flaccid, expanded or folded at the midrib, asperulous (slightly rough), has a distinct midrib visible beneath.

These panicles are erect or drooping slightly, rachides obtusely angular; glabrous or inconspicuously scaberulous, pedicels 2–5 mm in length.

Oryza is a noun meaning rice in Late Latin (orȳza), it has origins in Ancient Greek (órūza) which lent from an Eastern Iranian language.

[13] Oryza punctata grows in rock-pools, permanent pools near rain forest and swampy soils near streams.

It is native to Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

[17] Earliest grass pollen and flower fossils date back to approximately 60-55mya but Poaceae only became dominant over many other plants groups about 24 mya; this is thought to be due to cooling and drying of the environment.

[15][18][19] The genus Oryza L. (Rice) diverged from the rest of Poaceae (Grasses) relatively recently, approximately 14 mya.

[20] Oryza L. originated in Asia and began to diversify, spreading to Australia, America and Africa in 3, 1 and 4 separate dispersal events respectively.

[9] Rice (Oryza L.) has been widely studied in systematics and many other disciplines due to its agricultural importance, making up 19% of the calories consumed worldwide every day.

[10][12][21] With global populations set to reach 10 billion by 2050, it is essential to improve key crops species such as rice.

Resistance to brown planthopper (BPH) and Zigzag leafhopper (ZLH) have been seen in O. punctata, which infests commercial rice plants.