Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

Arundo donax
Giant reed
Taxonomy

Synonyms:

Subspecific taxa:

Classification:

Other taxonomic & nomenclature sources: USDA Plants;  ITIS;  The Plant List;  IPNI

Images

   
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Species Distribution
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More about map & occurrence records

County Map Legend
Absent:
Not known from county
Medium confidence:
Medium or unknown confidence;
often old records or unverifiable observations
Medium-high confidence:
Often observations by expert botanists
High confidence:
Often vouchered herbarium records
Planted / introduced:
Native species introduced outside historic range,
or only in planted locations within county (e.g., restorations)
Historic / extirpated:
Only historic records for the species; likely extirpated
(Note that this category is not yet functional)

North American distribution maps for this species: FLNA;  USDA Plants;  BONAP;  BISON

Collections, Observations & Flowering by Month [?]

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F
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M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
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Collections & Observations by Decade [?]

Species Status

Status/Listing: No Information

Notes:

Origin: Europe

Species Description

General: Monocot, perennial

Roots: adventitious, rhizomes

Shoots: alternate leaf arrangment; simple leaf type; entire leaf margin; Parallel leaf venation; awl-shaped leaf shape

Inflorescence: panicle

Flowers: perfect; 3 merous; complete; hypogynous ovary position

Fruit: grain

Physiology: autotrophic

Reproduction: vegetative

Ecology & Natural History

Habitat:

ILPIN Notes: In Italy and Argentina, species is a source of paper pulp. In Europe - reeds are used for clarinets and organ pipes; in southwest U.S. - species is used for frames for construction of adobe buildings, screens and mats. If culms are clipped, they will branch and can be used as a hedge. Hitchcock, A.S. 1950. A Manual of the Grasses of the United States. United States Government Printing Office. Washington, D.C. 1051 pp. Versus phragmites australis, A. domax has pubescent lemmas and a glabrous rachilla. Species is distributed along irrigation ditches and waste places. Species occasionally escapes from cultivation. Species is planted in southeast Texas for control of wind erosion.

Functional Relationships:

  • Pollinators:
  • Dispersal:
  • Mycorrhizae:
  • N2 fixation:

Human Relationships:

  • Edibility [?] :
  • Showy Flowers:

Wildlife and Livestock Information:

  • Food Value:
  • Cover Value:

Coefficient of Conservatism (C-value) [?] :

  • Entire State:
  • Chicago Area:

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