Arundo donax L.

Family: GRAMINEAE (POACEAE)

Genus: Arundo

Catalan common name: Canya.

Spanish common name: Caña común.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Chinese-Japanese

Uses and properties: Furniture, construction and tools. Medicinal.

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Phanerophyte.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Cultivated species. Non-saline wetlands (intermittent watercourses, streams, artesian wells, ditches). Cultivated specie and naturalizated.

Characteristics: Giant reeds are originally from Asia, but have become part of our flora just like one more plant, even though they are usually found in humid, more or less humanised areas. It is much larger and flowers in autumn rather in summer, like the wetland common weed (Phragmites spp.).