common reed
Family
PoaceaeScientific Name
Phragmites australisOther Common Names:
phragmites
Synonyms (former Scientific Names):
Phragmites communis
Phragmites australis var. berlandieri
Phragmites phragmites
Habit
Common reed is a perennial grass that grows from 5 to 15 ft high and forms dense stands.
Leaves
The leaves are flat 20 to 60 cm long and 1 to 3 cm wide. The blades are hairless or scarcely hairy below. The ligule has silky hairs that are 1-2 mm long.
Identifying Characteristics
Growth is spread over long distances by rhizome fragments carried by soil.
Flower Seed Head
Plume-like seedheads that are purple during younger stages and eventually turns light brown in later stages. The panicle is 15-40 cm long.
Seed Fruit
Seeds are seldom produced, reproduces by vegetative growth. Has a hairless lemma.
Where Found
A very large grass that prefers very damp soils, and may even grow in flowing water. Also, it can tolerate salt and alkaline conditions. Roadside ditches and other wet areas throughout the United States and southern Canada. Common reed cannot survive in areas that have frequent and close mowing.
Leaf Hair on Upper Surface
no hairs
Mature Leaf Width
more than 15 mm
Stem
round
Seedhead
panicle
Life Cycle
perennial
Auricle
not present
Ligule
membrane
Ligule Length
less than 1 mm
Plant Type
Grass