Description:

• Perennial, tall reed, long rhizomatous
• Leaf blade linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, expanded, deciduous at base of blade, leaves cauline; ligule a short fringed membrane, hairs shorter than subtending membrane
• Inflorescence a large, plumose panicle, 300-600 mm long, branches stiff and ascending; spikelets pedicelled
• Spikelet laterally compressed, disarticulating above glumes; glumes ± equal, ± as long as spikelet, membranous, 3-5-nerved, awnless
• Florets 2-7, bisexual or uppermost floret reduced; lemma similar to less firm in texture to glumes, not becoming indurated, hyaline or membranous, long-hairy, 3-9-nerved, awned; awn straight, shorter than body of lemma; callus short, blunt, hairy; palea present, shorter than lemma, 2-nerved
• Lodicules 2, fleshy, glabrous
• Stamens 3
• Ovary glabrous
• x = 12 (aneuploids, high polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

• *Arundo L.
  • Linnaeus: 81 (1753)
  • Tutin: 252 (1980)
  • Clayton & Renvoize: 181 (1986)
  • Gibbs Russell et al.: 57 (1990)
  • Watson & Dallwitz: 145 (1994)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Species 3, Mediterranean to China, widely introduced elsewhere
• Southern Africa: Species 1.: *Arundo donax L., naturalised and cultivated, widespread