Common reed

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Common reed

Common reed

Common reed

Common reed inflorescence

Common reed ligule

Common reed blades

Common reed inflorescence

Morphology

Culm

Erect, stout, round, leafy, glabrous, hollow.

Blades

Flat, 6 to 22 inches long, 1/2 to 2 inches wide, glabrous, tips tapering to long points.

Sheath

Open, overlapping, loose.

Ligule

Membrane backed by fringe of hairs.

Inflorescence

Panicle, large, dense, terminal, 6 to 16 inches long, plumelike, initially purplish, turning tan; apex nodding at maturity; branches ascending.

Spikelets

Numerous, about 1/2 inch long, 3- to several-flowered, stalked, rachilla with long, silky hairs up to .4 inch long; florets successively smaller; glumes unequal, lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, tips long-pointed; lemmas linear-lanceolate, about 1/2 inch long, narrow, glabrous, 3-nerved, tips tapering to points.

Ecology

Habitat

Wet areas; stream banks, lake borders, and marshes.

Distribution

Throughout Kansas but infrequent in southeast corner.

Practical Information

Uses

Native Americans used the stems to make pipestems, arrow shafts, baskets, and mats. The roots were sometimes used in treatments of stomach problems and diarrhea. The Paiute dried the sap and used it as candy/sugar.

Additional Notes