Phragmites karka

Phragmites karka (Retz.) Trin. ex Steud., Nomencl. Bot. ed. 2, 2: 324 1841. (Synonym: Arundo corea Rottler ex Hook.f. [Invalid]; Arundo karka Retz.; Arundo roxburghii Kunth [Illegitimate]; Arundo tecta Blanco [Illegitimate]; Arundo tibialis Roxb. ; Arundo vallatoria L. [Invalid]; Calamagrostis karka (Retz.) J.F.Gmel.; Oxyanthe japonica (Steud.) Steud.; Phragmites bifarius Wight ex Hook.f. [Invalid]; Phragmites cinctus (Hook.f.) B.S.Sun; Phragmites japonicus var. prostratus (Makino) L.Liu; Phragmites karka var. cinctus Hook.f.; Phragmites laxiflorus Steud.; Phragmites nepalensis Nees ex Steud.; Phragmites prostratus Makino; Phragmites roxburghii (Kunth) Steud.; Phragmites vallatorius (Pluk. ex L.) Veldkamp [Invalid]; Sericura japonica Steud.; Trichoon karka (Retz.) Roth; Trichoon roxburghii (Kunth) W.Wight; Trichoon roxburghii (Kunth) Wight);
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W. Tropical Africa to Kenya, Tropical & Subtropical Asia to Pacific: Assam, Bangladesh, Benin, Bismarck Archipelago, Borneo, Burkina, Cambodia, Cameroon, Caroline Is., China South-Central, China Southeast, Cook Is., East Himalaya, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Hainan, Hawaii, India, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jawa, Kenya, Korea, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Mali, Maluku, Marianas, Marshall Is., Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, Nepal, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Nicobar Is., Niger, Nigeria, Northern Territory, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Queensland, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Is., Somalia, South Australia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Himalaya, Western Australia, Yemen as per POWO;

Common name: Tall Reed • Assamese: Nal, Nalkhagari • Bengali: Nal • Hindi: Narkul, नाल् Nal, Doka-ghas, Kilak • Kannada: Hulugila hullu • Malayalam: Nain-canna, Nadam • Manipuri: তৌ Tou • Marathi: नाल Nala • Oriya: Potagala • Sanskrit: Dhamana, Nala • Tamil: Perunanal, நாலம் Nalam • Telugu: Eela karra, Nagasaramu-peepalu

Perennial reed, with creeping rhizomes. Culms erect, up to 10m high. Leaf-blades 30-80 cm long and 12-40 nun wide, glabrous, rough to the touch beneath (at least in the upper half), the tips attenuate and stiff (occasionally almost smooth or with filiform tips). Panicle 30-50 cm long, 10-20 cm wide, the lowest node often many-branched in a whorl, the branches bare of spikelets for some distance from their base. Spikelets 9-12 mm long, the rhachilla-hairs 4-7 mm long, rather sparse; lower glume just over half as long as the upper; upper glume narrowly elliptic to very narrowly elliptic, 4-6 mm long, acute to subacute; lowest lemma very narrowly elliptic, 7.5-12 mm long; fertile lemmas very narrowly lanceolate, 85-11 mm long.

Almost all the Phargmites found in water logged areas in the plains of India is Phragmites australis (P.communis) and not P.karka. Phragmites karka is a plant usually found in the hill slopes. The inflorescence is also different. Usually, most taxonomists in the past have identified almost all Phragmites as P.karka, but the reality is that it is entirely different from P.australis (P.communis).

Poaceae, Cyperaceae and Juncaceae Week: Poaceae- Phragmites karka from Delhi–GS3 : 5 images. 3 posts by 3 authors.

Please see the interesting discussion on this plant, a true example of identifications get solved in this group

https://groups.google.com/indiantreepix/jrmMcZoJ

Phragmites karka (Retz.) Trin. ex Steud

Syn: Arundo karka Retz.; Arundo roxburghii Kunth; Phragmites maxima (Forssk.) Blatter & McCann; Phragmites nepalensis Nees ex Steud.; Phragmites roxburghii (Kunth) Steud.

Common name: Tropical reed

Nice Shots with description

The best way to distinguish Arundo from Phragmites in the vegetative state is its leaf base. Arundo has amplexicaul or auricled leaf base (leaf base with ears almost encircling the stem), whereas Phragmites doesn’t. Almost all the Phargmites found in water logged areas in the plains of India is Phragmites australis (P.communis) and not P.karka. Phragmites karka is a plant usually found in the hill slopes. The inflorescence is also different. I will post the picture soon. Usually, most taxonomists in the past have identified almost all Phragmites as P.karka, but the reality is that it is entirely different from P.australis (P.communis).

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Poaceae, Cyperaceae and Juncaceae Week: Poaceae-07042013MC5 from Nainital, Uttarakhand-MC5 : Attachments (3). 2 posts by 2 authors.
Phragmites karka, the hill species of Phragmites from Ramgarh, Nainital. It is found on hill slopes unlike Phragmites australis which is semiaquatic in habitat

Phragmites karka (Retz.) Trin. ex Steud. : 4 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (6) – around 1 MB each.