Flower and leaf reed

Reed grass, Poaceae, Phragmites genus, perennial with a well-developed rhizome. The stems are thick, upright, strong, and jointed, often with branching. The leaf sheaths are longer than the internodes, hairless or with long, soft hairs at the neck; the leaf ligule is truncate with short bristles at the tip; the leaf blade is flat, slightly rough on the upper surface and margin, white at the base, embracing the stem. The panicle is extremely large, with dense branching and obliquely ascending; densely pubescent below the middle on the back, with short pubescence on the upper sides, and the spikelets are small and black. Flowering and fruiting period is from September to December. Grows along riverbanks and on sandy loam soils.

Perennial, with a well-developed rhizome. The culm is thick and erect, reaching 3-6 meters in height, with a diameter of 1.5-2.5 (-3.5) centimeters, sturdy, with many nodes, and often with branching. The leaf sheath is longer than the internode, hairless or with a long, soft beard at the neck; the ligule is truncate, about 1.5 millimeters long, with short bristles at the tip; the leaf blade is flat, 30-50 centimeters long, 3-5 centimeters wide, slightly rough on the upper surface and margin, white at the base, embracing the stem. The panicle is extremely large, 30-60 (-90) centimeters long, 3-6 centimeters wide, with dense branches, obliquely ascending; spikelets are 10-12 millimeters long; containing 2-4 florets, with an axis node about 1 millimeter long; the lemma has a midvein extending into a 1-2 millimeter short awn, densely covered with long, soft hairs below the middle, hairs 5-7 millimeters long, a basal disk about 0.5 millimeters long, with short soft hairs on both sides above, the first lemma about 1 centimeter long; the palea is about half the length of the lemma; there are 3 stamens, the fruit is small and black. Flowering and fruiting period is from September to December. Chromosome count 2n=12 (Sahniet Bir 1985), 2n=60 (Larsen 1963, b), 110 (Hunter 1934, Pizzolongo 1962). It is an aneuploid with 5, 6, and 9 times the normal chromosome number.