Phragmites karka, the tall reed or common reed, is a species of flowering plant in the grass family. It is native to West Africa.
Other Names +LanguageNameTransliterationChinese卡开芦 Pinyin: Kǎ kāi lúJavanesePrumpungSundaneseBayongbongMadureseParongpong Japanese背高葦Seitaka Ashi
Distribution This species has a widespread distribution that includes West Africa, Southern Arabian Peninsula, Kenya, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. It is also present in New Zealand, where it is categorised as an invasive weed.
Description It is a herbaceous, perennial species with a rhizomatous geophyte (underground storage organ) and primarily grows in the tropical regions during the dry season. During the winter, it is deciduous.
Plants can grow to 4–10 metres in height, with a diameter of 15-25mm.
The species is a fast-growing aquatic plant, often found in swamps, riverbanks and standing water, usually at elevations below 1,000 m.
Uses Locally, this species is utilised as a source of building and construction material, and as food. It is often planted near rivers to purify water, and as an anchor against soil erosion. The young shoots of this plant can be cooked and eaten, like bamboo or asparagus. The young leaves can also be used as fodder. The grass is also use for thatching and making screens, baskets, brooms, hats, mats, paper and reeds for musical instruments and fuel.
In the Philippines, the panicles of this species are bunched-up in a fan-shape to create a broom, with the culms being tightly bound to a central bamboo piece.
Conservation This widespread, fast-growing species is classified by the IUCN as Least Concern.
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