Arundo
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| Missing image Arundo.donax1web.jpg Arundo donax Giant Reed (Arundo donax) | ||||||||||||
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Arundo is a cosmopolitan genus of stout, perennial grasses from the family Poaceae. The Giant Reed (Arundo donax), native to the Mediterranean region, is considered an invasive weed in some areas where it is not native, for example southern California. It can grow to a height of 9 m, with many stems growing from the rhizome. It looks similar to an outsize Common Reed (Phragmites australis), or even some bamboos.
- Species
- Arundo agerum - (Europe)
- Arundo airoides - (North America)
- Arundo argentea - (Switzerland)
- Arundo arguta - (Uruguay)
- Arundo bicolor - (North Africa)
- Arundo bifaria - (East Asia)
- Arundo biflora - (Uruguay)
- Arundo boivini - (Madagascar)
- Arundo capillata
- Arundo ciliata - (Switzerland)
- Arundo conspicua - (New Zealand)
- Arundo diclina - (Uruguay)
- Arundo dioica - (SE Asia)
- Arundo donax - Giant Reed, Spanish Cane (Mediterranean, India, naturalized in the US)
- Arundo filiformis - (Java)
- Arundo formosana - (Taiwan)
- Arundo fulvida - (New Zealand)
- Arundo gracilis
- Arundo hellenica - (Greece)
- Arundo henslowiana - (China)
- Arundo indica - (Malaysia)
- Arundo madagascariensis - (Madagascar)
- Arundo mambu
- Arundo maritima - (Scandinavia)
- Arundo minutiflora - (Moluccas)
- Arundo nitida - (Ecuador)
- Arundo orientalis
- Arundo pallens - (North America)
- Arundo parviflora - (Taiwan)
- Arundo pilosa - (Falkland Islands)
- Arundo piscatoria - (SE Asia)
- Arundo pliniana- (Mediterranean)
- Arundo pygmaea - (Italy)
- Arundo reynaudiana - (Peru)
- Arundo roraimensis - (Guyana)
- Arundo rugi - (Chile)
- Arundo sabuli - (Europe)
- Arundo solida - (Uruguay)
- Arundo spence - (United States)
- Arundo tacuara - (Uruguay)
- Arundo triflora - (Uruguay)
- Arundo trivalvis - (Indonesia)
- Arundo valdiviana - (Chile)
- Arundo villosissima - (Turkey)
- Arundo webbiana - (South Africa)
- Arundo zollingeri - (Java)
Uses
Arundo donax is both flexible and strong enough to be used as a reed for woodwinds. Giant reed has been used for flutes for over 5,000 years. The pan pipes consists of 10 or more reed pipes. Its stiff stems are also used as support for climbing plants or for vines. Further uses are walking sticks, fishing poles. Since Arundo species grow very rapidly, their use has been suggested for biomass for energy.
References
- As of 2002-06-23 (http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=41449)