Reed is a tall grass that is either perennially aquatic or wetland, often growing along irrigated ditches, river embankments, and swamps worldwide. Its leaves, flowers, stems, roots, and bamboo shoots are all medicinal. The stems and roots can also be used in the paper industry and for biological preparations. Processed reed stems can be crafted into art pieces. In ancient times, reeds were used to make brooms. Reed is one of the main plants growing in wetland environments. It commonly grows in shallow water areas around ponds, riverbanks, and streams, often forming reed thickets. Yu Yafei's poem describes it as: "In the shallow waters, a wetland, there grows a lush cluster of reeds; swaying in the wind with many poses, simple and unadorned, full of rustic charm."

Reed stems are straight and tall, swaying in the wind, exuding a wild charm. Due to the aerenchyma present in the leaves, sheaths, stems, rhizomes, and adventitious roots of reeds, they play a crucial role in purifying wastewater. The sturdy reed stems, with high fiber content, are a rare raw material in the papermaking industry. They are more commonly found by lakes.

Perennial, with a highly developed rhizome. The culm is upright, measuring 1-3 (8) meters in height, with a diameter of 1-4 centimeters, and possesses over 20 joints. The internodes at the base and upper part are shorter, with the longest internode located between the 4th to 6th joints at the lower section, measuring 20-25 (40) centimeters, and coated with wax powder below the joints.

The lower sheath is shorter than the upper one, which is longer than the internodes; the leaf margin is densely covered with a ring of short bristles about 1 mm long, with the lateral margins having bristles 3-5 mm long, easily shed; the leaf blade is lanceolate-linear, 30 cm long, 2 cm wide, hairless, with the tip gradually tapering to a filamentous shape.