Tropicos | Name - !Arundo donax L.

!Arundo donax L.

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Project Name Data (Last Modified On 6/2/2011)

Acceptance : Accepted

Project Data (Last Modified On 6/3/2011)

Flower/Fruit: Fl. & Fr. Per.: June - December.

Type: Type locality: Spain.

Distribution: Distribution: Pakistan (Baluchistan, Punjab, N.W.F.P. & Kashmir); Mediterranean region eastwards to Burma; North Africa; introduced into many parts of the World.

Comment/Acknowledgements: Arundo donax is a plant of wet habitats but Bor (Grasses Burma Ceyl. Ind. Pak. 415) stated that it will grow in dryish places when once established. Cattle will browse its young leaves but it is not of much account as a fodder grass. In Europe it is extensively cut to make mats, trays and baskets and the Romans used the stems for pens. It is sometimes used for making paper but is commercially of less value than Phragmites australis.

Considerable difficulty may be experienced in distinguishing immature plants of Arundo, Neyraudia and Phragmites, and dissecting the spikelets will be of little use. Phragmites can be distinguished by the silky beard at the bases of the lowest panicle branches which is absent from the other two genera. The ligule of Arundo is membranous while that of Phragmites and Neyraudia is a fringe of hairs. The leaves of Arundo are very much broader than in the other genera and are conspicuously cordate or rounded at the base.

Illustration:

Map Location: B-6 Mardan dist.: Takht-Bhai, M. Qaiser & A. Ghafoor 6412 (KUH); B-7 Hazara dist.: Kagan Valley, M. Inayat Khan 20303 (K); 30 miles from Balakot on Kaghan Road, S.A. Faruqi & M. Qaiser 3349 (KUH); Swat dist.: Karora, 34000', A. Rahman Beg 25831 (K, RAW); near Kalali, 6000', R.R. Stewart 24536 (RAW); Mankial, 3 September 1966, Sadr-Uddin s.n. (KUH); Kashmir: Jhelum Valley, 3000', H.C. Levinge 27429 (K) ibid., E.W. Trotter 136 (KUH); C-7 Rawalpindi dist.: Rawalpindi, 1700', R.R. Stewart 17128 (RAW); Sargodha dist.: Sakesar, c.2000', J.R. Drummond 14609, 14773 (K); C-8 Kashmir: Kishtwar, 4500', J.S. Gamble 31392B (K); D-4 Quetta dist.: Urak, I.I. Chaudhri C3 (RAW); Ibid., R.R. Stewart 649(K); D-5 Loralai dist.: c.5 miles from Duki toward Sanjaur, M. Qaiser & A. Ghafoor 1540 (KUH).