Arundo

Scientific name

Arundo L.

Common names

carrizo, arundo, giant reed, oboe cane

Family

Poaceae

Similar genera

bamboo and various grasses when juvenile

Native distribution

Old World (Mediterranean)

Species cultivated

Arundo donax L.

Adventive distribution

introduced into and common throughout the New World

Weed status

Arundo donax is a significant invasive weed throughout the world, and listed as a noxious weed in numerous countries.

Habit

tall, emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
or terrestrialterrestrial:
(adj) growing on land as opposed to living in water
grass

Brief description

Very tall (up to 6 m). Rhizomerhizome:
(n) an underground stem, usually growing horizontally, from which both roots and shoots emerge directly; the thick, above-ground stem of ferns
creeping, hard and thick, with knots. Leaves caulinecauline:
(adj) pertaining to or belonging to the stem
, up to 100 cm long and 7 cm wide; rounded at base and tapering to a point; ligules large, papery. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
a large (up to 60 cm long), dense, erect and feathery, whitish to brown paniclepanicle:
(n) an indeterminate, branched (often much-branched) inflorescence; the ultimate units may be of a different inflorescence type
; spikelets solitary, stalked, each with 2-7 flowers. Caryopses dispersed by wind and water.

The cultivar Arundo donax 'Variegata' is smaller than A. donax (to 3 m), with cream and green variegated leaves.

Natural habitat

wetlands and riparianriparian:
(adj) growing by rivers or streams; of, adjacent to, or living on, the banks of a river, lake, pond, etc.
habitats

Additional comments

A genus of five species. Arundo donax can have a large effect on riparianriparian:
(adj) growing by rivers or streams; of, adjacent to, or living on, the banks of a river, lake, pond, etc.
ecosystems, where it can increase fires, accelerate erosion, and replace native species with poor habitat. Arundo donax 'Variegata' is not known to be weedy and rarely flowers.