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Phragmites australis
| Common name: |
Common Reed |
Family: |
Gramineae |
| Author: |
(Cav.)Trin. ex Steud. |
Botanical references: |
17, 200 |
| Synonyms: |
Phragmites vulgaris ((Lam.)Cré pin.), Phragmites communis (Trin.), Arundo phragmites (L.) |
| Known Hazards: |
None known |
| Range: |
Cosmopolitan, in most regions of the world, including Britain, but absent from the Amazon Basin. |
| Habitat: |
Shallow water and wet soil, avoiding extremely poor soils and very acid habitats[17]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
5 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 2 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Arundo vulgaris[G]
P. australis var. berlandieri[B,P]
P. communis ssp. berlandieri[B,P]
P. communis var. berlandieri[B,P]
P. communis var. longivalvis[G]
P. longivalvis[G]
P. phragmites[B,P]
P. vulgaris var. longivalvis[G]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Ch'Uan [E], Chia [E], Common Reed [H,FEIS,P,L,B], Lu [E], P'Eng Nung [E], Reed Grass [H], Reed, Cane [MS], Riet [D], Sazkamisi [E], Wei [E], |
| Epithets: | From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets |
|
australis = southern
mite = soft
|
| Systematics: | From a USDA Plants Database |
|
Order: Cyperales. Renamed to Poaceae -- Grass family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
China
Lesotho Turkey Us(Blackfoot)
|
| Noxious, Invasive and Injurious Weeds | From USDA PLANTS database, Weeds Australia
, DEFRA Injurious Weeds | | Listed as noxious/invasive for: South Carolina. |
Physical Characteristics
Perennial growing to 3.6m by 3m at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Wind.
We rate it 5/5 for edibility and
2/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline and saline soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.
It requires moist or wet soil and can grow in water.
The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Pond, Bog Garden.Edible Uses
Leaves
Root Seed Stem Sweetener.
Root - raw or cooked like potatoes[2, 13, 74, 102, 106, 183]. It
contains up to 5% sugar. The flavour and texture are best when the root is
young and still growing[144]. It can be dried, ground coarsely and used as a
porridge[12, 46, 62]. In Russia they are harvested and processed into
starch[269].
Young shoots - raw or cooked[61, 62, 102, 179]. They are best if used before
the leaves form, when they are really delicious[144]. They can be used like
bamboo shoots[183]. The partly unfolded leaves can be used as a potherb and
the Japanese dry young leaves, grind them into a powder and mix them with
cereal flour when making dumplings[183]. The stems are reported to contain
4.8 g protein, 0.8 g fat, 90.0 g total carbohydrate, 41.2 g fiber, and 4.4 g
ash[269].
Seed - raw or cooked[257]. It can be ground into a powder and used as a
flour[57, 62, 102, 106]. The seed is rather small and difficult to remove
from the husk but it is said to be very nutritious[183].
A sugar is extracted from the stalks or wounded stems[2, 5, 62, 95]. A sweet
liquorice-like taste[95], it can be eaten raw or cooked[62]. The stems can be
boiled in water and then the water boiled off in order to obtain the
sugar[178]. A sugary gum that exudes from the stems can be rolled into balls
and eaten as sweets[183].
A powder extracted from the dried stems can be moistened and roasted like
marshmallow[62, 95, 102, 183].
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Antiasthmatic
Antidote Antiemetic Antitussive Depurative Diuretic Febrifuge Lithontripic Refrigerant Sialagogue Stomachic Styptic.
The leaves are used in the treatment of bronchitis and cholera, the ash
of the leaves is applied to foul sores[218].
A decoction of the flowers is used in the treatment of cholera and food
poisoning[218]. The ashes are styptic[218].
The stem is antidote, antiemetic, antipyretic and refrigerant[218].
The root is antiasthmatic, antiemetic, antipyretic, antitussive, depurative,
diuretic, febrifuge, lithontripic, sedative, sialogogue and stomachic[147,
176, 218, 238]. It is taken internally in the treatment of diarrhoea, fevers,
vomiting, coughs with thick dark phlegm, lung abscesses, urinary tract
infections and food poisoning (especially from sea foods)[238, 257].
Externally, it is mixed with gypsum and used to treat halitosis and
toothache[238]. The root is harvested in the autumn and juiced or dried for
use in decoctions[238]. We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.
Other Uses
Basketry
Biomass Broom Cork Dye Fibre Fuel Furniture Insulation Miscellany Paper Pencil Soil stabilization Thatching Weaving.
The common reed can provide a large quantity of biomass and this is
used in a wide variety of ways as listed below. Annual yields of 40 - 63
tonnes per hectare have been reported[269]. The plant is also converted into
alcohol (for use as a fuel), is burnt as a fuel and is made into
fertilizer[238]. The plant is rich in pentosans and may be used for the
production of furfural - the nodes and sheaths yield 6.6% whilst the
underground parts over 13% of furfural[269]. The pentosan content increases
throughout the growing period and is maximum in the mature reed[269]. The
reed can be used also for the preparation of absolute alcohol, feed yeast and
lactic acid[269].
The stems are useful in the production of homogeneous boards[269]. They can
also be processed into a fine fibrous material suitable as a filler in
upholstery[269].
The stems have many uses. They are used for thatching roofs[1, 46, 74, 106].
It can last for 100 years[169]. The stems and leaves are also used for
building dwellings, lattices, fences, arrows by Indians, and for weaving
mats, carrying nets, basket making, insulation, fuel, as a cork substitute
etc[13, 74, 99, 102, 115, 257, 269].
The stem contains over 50 percent cellulose and is useful in the manufacture
of pulps for rayon and paper[269]. The fibre from the leaves and stems is
used for making paper[189]. The fibre is 0.8 - 3.0 mm long and 5.0 - 30.5µ m
in diameter. The stems and leaves are harvested in the summer, cut into
usable pieces and soaked for 24 hours in clear water. They are then cooked
for 2 hours with lye and beaten in a blender. The fibre makes a khaki
paper[189].
A fibre obtained from the plant is used for making string[95, 106]. The
flowering stalks yield a fibre suitable for rope making[269].
The leaves are used in basket making and for weaving mats etc[169, 238].
A light green dye is obtained from the flowers[6, 115].
Freshly cut shoots are a good green manure[74] (Does this man as a soil
mulch?[K]).
The inflorescences are used as brooms[74].
The plant can be used as a cork substitute[74]. No further details.
The plant is mixed with mud to make a plaster for walls[145].
Pens for writing on parchment were cut and fashioned from the thin stems of
this reed[269], whilst the stems were also used as a linear measuring
device[269].
The plant has a very vigorous and running rootstock, it is useful for
binding the soil along the sides of streams etc[115]. It is planted for flood
control since it stablizes the banks and gradually builds up soil depth, thus
raising the level of the bank.
Cultivation details
A very easily grown plant that thrives in deep moisture retentive soils
such as marshes and swamps, whilst it also grows well along the sides of
streams, lakes and ponds, in shallow water, ditches and wet wastelands[162,
200, 269]. Plants are tolerant of moderately saline water[169, 269]. The
plant is reported to tolerate an annual precipitation in the range of 31 to
241cm, an annual temperature in the range of 6.6 to 26.6° C and a pH of 4.8 to
8.2[269].
Plants are hardy to about -20° c[200]. This species is very fast growing with
a very vigorous and invasive running rootstock that can be 10 metres or more
long, it can form very large stands in wetlands[200, 238, 260]. Difficult to
eradicate once established, it is unsuitable for planting into small
spaces[200, 238, 269].
The flowering heads are often used in dried flower arrangements[238].
There are some named forms, selected for their ornamental value[238].
Propagation
Seed - surface sow in spring in a light position. Keep the soil moist
by emmersing the pot in 3cm of water. Germination usually takes place quite
quickly. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large
enough to handle and plant them out in the summer.
Division in spring. Very simple, any part of the root that has a growth bud
will grow into a new plant. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into
their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the
smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they
are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.
Cultivars
- ''
- No entries have been made for this species as yet.
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
PFAF Web Pages
This plant is mentioned in the following web pages
Web References
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [V] Images
from the Vascular Plant Image Gallery of the Texas A& M Bioinformatics Working Group.
- [B] Data
(Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [FAO] Data
(Description, Habitat, Location and Use) from the FAO's Grassland Index.
- [C] Taxon data.
from the CalFlora database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [HEC] Use, Folk Medicine, etc. from Handbook of Energy Crops by James Duke
- [FEIS] Data
(Uses, Ecology, Fire Effects) from the USDA Forestry Service Fire Effects Information System.
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
References for Arundo phragmites (a possible synonym).
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
References for Phragmites communis (a possible synonym).
References for phragmites australis (a possible synonym).
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
[5] Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974 ISBN 0-00-219060-5
Edible wild plants found in Britain. Fairly comprehensive, very few pictures and rather optimistic on the desirability of some of the plants.
[6] Mabey. R. Plants with a Purpose. Fontana 1979 ISBN 0-00-635555-2
Details on some of the useful wild plants of Britain. Poor on pictures but otherwise very good.
[12] Loewenfeld. C. and Back. P. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles ISBN 0-7153-7971-2
A handy pocket guide.
[13] Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975 ISBN 0-600-33545-3
Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.
[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
[57] Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.
Fairly readable but not very comprehensive. Deals with plants from around the world.
[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
[62] Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982 ISBN 0442222009
Very readable.
[74] Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.
[95] Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976 ISBN 0-486-23310-3
Useful wild plants of America. A pocket guide.
[99] Turner. N. J. Plants in British Columbian Indian Technology. British Columbia Provincial Museum 1979 ISBN 0-7718-8117-7
Excellent and readable guide.
[102] Kavasch. B. Native Harvests. Vintage Books 1979 ISBN 0-394-72811-4
Another guide to the wild foods of America.
[106] Coon. N. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press 1975 ISBN 0-87857-090-x
Interesting reading but short on detail.
[115] Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.
Written about a hundred years ago, but still a very good guide to the useful plants of Britain.
[144] Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976 ISBN 0-00-634436-4
A very good pocket guide.
[145] Singh. Dr. G. and Kachroo. Prof. Dr. P. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1976
A good flora of the western Himalayas but poorly illustrated. Some information on plant uses.
[147] ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X
A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.
[162] Grounds. R. Ornamental Grasses. Christopher Helm 1989 ISBN 0-7470-1219-9
Cultivation details of many of the grasses and bamboos. Well illustrated.
[169] Buchanan. R. A Weavers Garden.
Covers all aspects of growing your own clothes, from fibre plants to dyes.
[176] Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985
A very good Chinese herbal.
[178] Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.
[179] Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977
A translation of an ancient Chinese book on edible wild foods. Fascinating.
[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
[189] Bell. L. A. Plant Fibres for Papermaking. Liliaceae Press 1988
A good practical section on how to make paper on a small scale plus details of about 75 species (quite a few of them tropical) that can be used.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
[260] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998 ISBN 0-330-37376-5
Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.
[269] Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - 1983
Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of plants.
Readers Comments
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