Dry rice, known as "mountain" rice, can be grown without irrigation but yields less. It is most commonly grown on the hills in northern China, but contrary to its name, it is also a popular plant in the lowlands in Bengal or Madagascar.
Wet rice - "padi" is a marsh plant that requires shallow water to thrive. There are several thousand varieties of this rice in India and China. Most of them provide grains that are ready for direct consumption when dried.
