Scientific name: Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin.ex Steudel

Synonyms: Arundo australis Cav.; Phragmites communis Trin.; P. vulgaris (Lam.) Crep.

Common name: Common reed

Family: Poaceae

Origin:

Native of Australia, cosmopolitan species.

Habit:

Perennial grass, robust 1.5-3 m tall with thick creeping rhizomes.

Habitat:

A native species which is a weed of suburban waterways. Found in or near creeks swamps. One of the most widely spread species in the world, it is a cosmopolitan weed of irrigation channels and poorly drained areas.

General description:

Stems and leaves

Plants produce stout creeping stems below ground (rhizomes) and horizontal stems above ground (stolons) which form roots at the nodes and plantlets. Leaves are 10-60 cm × 0.5-3.5 cm and smooth in texture. Plants are stout and erect. The sheaths of the leaves are loose and over lap. There is an appendage at the junction of the leaf sheath and the leaf blade (a ligule) which consists of a rim of hairs with a tuft of longer hairs at the leaf margins.

Flowers and fruit

The inflorescence is branched broadest at the base, becoming finer towards the tip. There are long hairs on parts of the flower stem and dense hairs on the awned part of the florets.

Distinguishing characteristics:

A very large perennial grass with rhizomes underground and runners above ground. The plants are robust and erect growing 2-3 m tall. found in or near creeks, swamps, suburban waterways, drainage ditches and other water logged sites.

Noxious status:

Not noxious.

Sources:

Kleinschmidt, H.E., Holland, A. and Simpson, P. (1996). Suburban Weeds. 3rd Edition. Department of Primary Industries, Brisbane.

Stanley, T.E. and Ross, E.M. (1983-1989). Flora of South-eastern Queensland. Volume 3. Department of Primary Industries, Brisbane.

Auld, B.A. and Medd, R.W. (1996). Weeds: An Illustrated Botanical Guide to Weeds of Australia. Inkata Press, Sydney.