Phragmites australis

Taxonomy and growth

Family

Gramineae

Genus

Phragmites

Life cycle

perennial

Growth rate

vigorous

Height

3.6 m

Spread

3 m

Fertility

Wind

Flower type

hermaphrodite

Pollinators

Wind

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Root - raw or cooked like potatoes^{[18][6][31][2][3][16]}. It contains up to 5% sugar. The flavour and texture are best when the root is young and still growing^[7]. It can be dried, ground coarsely and used as a porridge^[5][25][30]. In Russia they are harvested and processed into starch^[24]. Young shoots - raw or cooked^{[29][30][2][15]}. They are best if used before the leaves form, when they are really delicious^[7]. They can be used like bamboo shoots^[16]. 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^[16]. 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^[24]. Seed - raw or cooked^[22]. It can be ground into a powder and used as a flour^{[27][30][2][3]}. The seed is rather small and difficult to remove from the husk but it is said to be very nutritious^[16]. A sugar is extracted from the stalks or wounded stems^{[18][26][30][32]}. A sweet liquorice-like taste^[32], it can be eaten raw or cooked^[30]. The stems can be boiled in water and then the water boiled off in order to obtain the sugar^[14]. A sugary gum that exudes from the stems can be rolled into balls and eaten as sweets^[16]. A powder extracted from the dried stems can be moistened and roasted like marshmallow^{[30][32][2][16]}.

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves are used in the treatment of bronchitis and cholera, the ash of the leaves is applied to foul sores^[20]. A decoction of the flowers is used in the treatment of cholera and food poisoning^[20]. The ashes are styptic^[20]. The stem is antidote, antiemetic, antipyretic and refrigerant^[20]. The root is antiasthmatic, antiemetic, antipyretic, antitussive, depurative, diuretic, febrifuge, lithontripic, sedative, sialogogue and stomachic^{[9][13][20][21]}. 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)^[21][22]. Externally, it is mixed with gypsum and used to treat halitosis and toothache^[21]. The root is harvested in the autumn and juiced or dried for use in decoctions^[21].

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

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^[24]. The plant is also converted into alcohol (for use as a fuel), is burnt as a fuel and is made into fertilizer^[21]. 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^[24]. The pentosan content increases throughout the growing period and is maximum in the mature reed^[24]. The reed can be used also for the preparation of absolute alcohol, feed yeast and lactic acid^[24]. The stems are useful in the production of homogeneous boards^[24]. They can also be processed into a fine fibrous material suitable as a filler in upholstery^[24]. The stems have many uses. They are used for thatching roofs^{[1][25][31][3]}. It can last for 100 years^[11]. 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^{[6][31][33][2][4][22][24]}. The stem contains over 50 percent cellulose and is useful in the manufacture of pulps for rayon and paper^[24]. The fibre from the leaves and stems is used for making paper^[17]. The fibre is 0.8 - 3.0 mm long and 5.0 - 30.5µm 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^[17]. A fibre obtained from the plant is used for making string^[32][3]. The flowering stalks yield a fibre suitable for rope making^[24]. The leaves are used in basket making and for weaving mats etc^[11][21]. A light green dye is obtained from the flowers^[28][4]. Freshly cut shoots are a good green manure^[31] (Does this man as a soil mulch?[K]). The inflorescences are used as brooms^[31]. The plant can be used as a cork substitute^[31]. No further details. The plant is mixed with mud to make a plaster for walls^[8]. Pens for writing on parchment were cut and fashioned from the thin stems of this reed^[24], whilst the stems were also used as a linear measuring device^[24]. The plant has a very vigorous and running rootstock, it is useful for binding the soil along the sides of streams etc^[4]. It is planted for flood control since it stablizes the banks and gradually builds up soil depth, thus raising the level of the bank.

Environment

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^[12].

Light

full sun

Shade tolerance

light shade

Water

aquatic

Hardiness

Zone 5+

Soil textures

sandy, loamy, clay

Soil pH

acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline

Tolerances

high wind, maritime exposure

Wind

Yes

Maritime

Yes

Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil

No

Drought

intolerant

Salinity

tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

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^[10][19][24]. Plants are tolerant of moderately saline water^[11][24]. 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^[24]. Plants are hardy to about -20°c^[19]. 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^[19][21][23]. Difficult to eradicate once established, it is unsuitable for planting into small spaces^[19][21][24]. The flowering heads are often used in dried flower arrangements^[21]. There are some named forms, selected for their ornamental value^[21].

Related plants

• Achnatherum hymenoidesIndian Millet
• Aegilops speltoides
• Aegilops triuncialis
• Agropyron elongatumTall Wheatgrass

References

1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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2. Kavasch. B. Native Harvests. Vintage Books 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-394-72811-4

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3. Coon. N. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-87857-090-x

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4. Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.

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5. Loewenfeld. C. and Back. P. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles ISBN 0-7153-7971-2

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6. Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-600-33545-3

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7. Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-00-634436-4

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8. Singh. Dr. G. and Kachroo. Prof. Dr. P. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1976-00-00

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9. ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X

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10. Grounds. R. Ornamental Grasses. Christopher Helm 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-7470-1219-9

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11. Buchanan. R. A Weavers Garden.

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12. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

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13. Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985-00-00

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14. Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre

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15. Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00

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16. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

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17. Bell. L. A. Plant Fibres for Papermaking. Liliaceae Press 1988-00-00

    ↩1↩2

18. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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19. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

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20. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

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21. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

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22. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

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23. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-330-37376-5

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24. Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - 1983-00-00

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25. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩1↩2

26. Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219060-5

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27. Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.

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28. Mabey. R. Plants with a Purpose. Fontana 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-00-635555-2

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29. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

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30. Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009

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31. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

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32. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

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33. Turner. N. J. Plants in British Columbian Indian Technology. British Columbia Provincial Museum 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-7718-8117-7

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