HOW TO KNOW THE GRASSES 







4a. Long hairs borne on the rachilla; lemmas smooth. Fig. 42. 



REED Phragmites communis Trin. 



Reed is a tall perennial grass, 



reaching 4 m. or more in height, with 

 smooth, poHshed stems and long and 

 very broad leaves. The plants spread 

 widely by vigorous rhizomes, form- 

 ing great colonies along the margins 

 of streams and in marshes and ditch- 

 es. In autumn the large panicles be- 

 come very feathery because of the 

 hairy rachillas. The lowermost floret 

 of the spikelet is staminate or sterile. 

 Reed is widespread in the United 

 States and is also known from all of the continents of the world. Fossil 

 rhizomes of reed have been found in Europe, making it one of the 

 few grasses known from past geological ages. July — October. 



Figure 42 



4b. Rachilla not hairy; lemmas covered with long hairs. Fig. 43. 



GIANT REED Arundo donax L. 



Perennial. This is one of the most 

 spectacular of grasses of the tem- 

 perate zone. The great culms reach 

 a height of 6 m., and a thickness 

 of 5 cm. or more. The plumelike 

 panicles which are produced by well 

 estabhshed clumps may reach a 

 length of 60 cm. Altogether, the 

 plants resemble bamboos closely, but 

 the stems do not persist over winter. 

 Giant reed is a native of Europe, 

 but is cultivated and naturalized in 

 our southern states, and has proved hardy in cultivation as far north 

 as central Iowa. The tough rind of the culms is used to make clarinet 

 reeds. Fall. 



Figure 43 



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