What are phragmites?

Question

What are phragmites?

Answer 1

Phragmites australis is a spectacularly tall perennial  grass found on all continents except Antarctica. Its full name, that given to it to reflect its taxonomic history, is Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. Most of us in New England know it, however, by one of its many "common" names, that of "common reed."

    It is characterized by its towering height of up to four meters (about 14 feet) and its stiff wide leaves and hollow stem. Its feathery and drooping inflorescences (clusters of tiny flowers) are purplish when flowering and turn whitish, grayish or brownish in fruit. They wave like plumes in the breeze. Flowering occurs from July-October.

    Phragmites is a colonial plant, spreading by rhizomes (underground stems) and capable of forming large stands or colonies arising from one or a few seeds or plant pieces. These colonies form along the margins of streams and in marshes and ditches. They can form in brackish water and in disturbed areas and their aggressive growth and tendency to outcompete other plants and form monospecific (one species) stands has many conservation biologists worried.

    Various methods of control are being tried in attempts to restore salt water marsh areas which have become brackish (in between fresh water and sea water in salinity) because the tidal flow from the oceans has been hindered, usually by human intervention. Today, various governmental and non-governmental organizations can provide the interested citizen with much information on what can be done about monitoring such problems. For example, the Parker River Clean Water Association has a hard-cover book available for volunteers wanting to get involved with measuring tidal restrictions and The Nature Conservancy has a lot of information in its Element Stewardship Abstract on Phragmites australis.

Answer 2

reeds.  indicator of wetlands.

Answer 3

PASS