Reed bamboo, belonging to the grass family and Phragmites genus, is a perennial with a well-developed rhizome. The stems are thick, straight, sturdy, and have many joints, often with branching. The leaf sheaths are longer than the internodes, hairless or with long, soft hairs at the collar; the leaf blade is flat, slightly rough on the upper surface and margin, white at the base, and clasp the stem. The panicle is large, densely branched, and obliquely ascending; densely pubescent below the middle on the back, with short pubescence on the upper sides, and the glumes 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. Stalk thick and erect, 3-6 meters tall, diameter 1.5-2.5 (-3.5) centimeters, tough, with many joints, often with branches. Leaf sheaths longer than internodes, hairless or with long, soft hairs on the neck; ligule truncate, about 1.5 millimeters long, with short bristles at the tip; leaf blade flat, 30-50 centimeters long, 3-5 centimeters wide, slightly rough on the upper surface and margin, white at the base, embracing the stem. Panicle large, 30-60 (-90) centimeters long, 3-6 centimeters wide, densely branched, obliquely ascending; spikelets 10-12 millimeters long; containing 2-4 florets, rachis joint about 1 millimeter long; lemma with an extended midvein forming a 1-2 millimeter short awn, densely pubescent below the middle on the back, hairs 5-7 millimeters long, rachilla about 0.5 millimeters long, with short pubescence on both sides at the upper part, lemma about 1 centimeter long; lemma about half the length of the lemma; anthers 3, achene small and black. Flowering and fruiting period from September to December. Chromosome number 2n=12 (Sahni et Bir 1985), 2n=60 (Larsen 1963, b), 110 (Hunter 1934, Pizzolo)NGO 1962). For 5x, 6x, and 9x aneuploids.