Summary ⁷

Common Reed (Phragmites australis) is an invasive perennial grass species that is found on every continent except Antarctica. It grows 6-12 feet tall on hollow stems that support feathery, drooping inflorescence. The inflorescence are purplish or bronze. Leaf blades are blue-green, flat, smooth, 6-18 inches long, and and 0.5-2 inches wide. The grass spreads by rhizome and stolons. Rhizomes are thick, scaly, and can reach lengths of 70 feet forming large stands. It can be confused with native species of Phragmites.

Source:
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/agconservation/common-reed
Colroado Weed Management Associacion. Noxious Weeds of Colorado. Edition 11. Edited by Alicia Doran, Steve Anthony, and Cathy Shelton. 2013. p. 159.

Identification ⁸

Height: 6-15 feet tall
Shape: Grass
Flowers: Feathery and drooping; can appear silvery or purplish; flowers July-October
Stems: Hollow
Leaves: Blue-green, flat, smooth, 6-18 inches long, and and 0.5-2 inches wide
Fruit:

Toxic: No
Root: Rhizome and stolons. Rhizomes are thick, scaly, and can reach lengths of 70 feet

Source:
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/agconservation/common-reed
Colroado Weed Management Associacion. Noxious Weeds of Colorado. Edition 11. Edited by Alicia Doran, Steve Anthony, and Cathy Shelton. 2013. p. 159.

Origin/Habitat ⁸

Common Reed is frequently found in wetland environments such as estuaries, marshes, vernal pools, swamps, and lake shores. It occurs up to 7000 feet in elevation. The plant spreads by rhizomes and can form very dense thickets near water.

Source:
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/agconservation/common-reed
Colroado Weed Management Associacion. Noxious Weeds of Colorado. Edition 11. Edited by Alicia Doran, Steve Anthony, and Cathy Shelton. 2013. p. 159.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) 2006 Luigi Rignanese, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=183559&one=T
2. no rights reserved, uploaded by Bev McBride
3. (c) bertrant.bui@, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phragmites_australis_ligula.jpg
4. (c) Rasbak, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Riet_ligula_Phragmites_australis.jpg
5. (c) Ryan Lamoureux, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by Ryan Lamoureux
6. (c) Don Sutherland, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Don Sutherland
7. Adapted by Colorado Parks and Wildlife from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phragmites_australis
8. (c) Colorado Parks and Wildlife, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• African Plants - a photo guide
• Atlas of Living Australia
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Calflora
• CalPhotos
• eFloras.org
• Flora Digital de Portugal
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Go Botany
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Jepson eFlora
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• NBN Atlas
• New Zealand Plant Conservation Network
• OregonFlora.org
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online
• 日本のレッドデータ検索システム
• 植物和名−学名インデックス YList

iNat Map