Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. subsp. australis

Spice In the field Inflorescence

Family: GRAMINEAE (POACEAE)

Genus: Phragmites

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

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

General distribution (Phytogeography): Cosmopolitan and subcosmopolitan

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Geophyte.

Habitats: Non-saline wetlands (intermittent watercourses, streams, artesian wells, ditches). Humid soils.

Characteristics: This reed is a rhizomatous Graminae of great size. Characteristic is its tall and svelte stem (up to 3 m.) covered by long and wide leaves. The inflorescence emerges from the superior part, wide and silky, slight dangling and generally violet in colour throughout. The spikelets have long cilium, which gives the plant its silky appearance. Can be told apart form the subspecies chrysanthus as the former is smaller in size and by its floral characteristics (the inferior glumulle is as long as the superior, while for subsp. chrysanthus the glumullas are double in length.) Differs from Arundo donax, the cane plant or giant reed, as this later is much more robust and much taller.