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PHRAGMITES Adanj.
Plants hermaphroditic, rhizomatous or stoloniferous, perennial. Culms erect to ascending (more than 2 m tall),
glabrous; internodes hollow, terete. Leaves cauline, somewhat distichous; sheaths terete, margins open; auricles
present or absent; ligules a short ciliate membrane; blades flat or involute, linear, lax. Panicles with primary branches
drooping at maturity, contracted (dense and nodding). Spikelets solitary, laterally compressed, disarticulation
above the glumes, awned or awnless; rachilla long pilose, not extended beyond upper floret; pedicellate; florets 3-9,
reduced floret at base (1), perfect florets several, and reduced floret (1) at apex, callus hairy; glumes 2, 3-5-
veined, very unequal, shorter than first floret, glabrous, awnless; lemmas the first 3-veined, second 1-3-veined,
membranous, glabrous, apex entire (acuminate), awned or awnless; awn when present (1) apical and straight; paleas 2-
veined (short), awnless, glabrous. Stamens 3; anthers pale yellow. Base chromosome number x=6.
A widely distributed grass genus of about three species.
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