What is the difference between reed and reed grass? Learn how to tell them apart quickly
Reed and reed grass are both plants that grow in rivers, lakes, marshes and wetlands, and their forms are fairly similar, so many people cannot tell whether a plant is reed or reed grass. So what are the differences between reed and reed grass?
1. Morphological characteristics of reed
Reed is perennial, with a very well-developed rhizome. The culm is erect, 1-3 (8) m tall, 1-4 cm in diameter, with more than 20 nodes; the internodes at the base and upper part are shorter, and the longest internode is located at the 4th-6th node from the bottom, 20-25 (40) cm long, with a waxy bloom below the nodes.
The lower leaf sheaths are shorter than the upper ones and longer than their internodes; the edge of the ligule is densely covered with a ring of short cilia about 1 mm long, and the marginal hairs on both sides are 3-5 mm long and fall off easily; the leaf blade is lanceolate-linear, 30 cm long, 2 cm wide, hairless, with a long tapering tip becoming thread-like.
The panicle is large, 20-40 cm long, about 10 cm wide, with many branches, 5-20 cm long, bearing dense, drooping spikelets; the pedicels are 2-4 mm long, hairless; the spikelets are about 12 mm long and contain 4 florets. The glumes have 3 veins; the first glume is 4 mm long; the second glume is about 7 mm long. The first sterile lemma is male, about 12 mm long; the second lemma is 11 mm long, with 3 veins, a long tapering tip, an elongated callus, and silky hairs on both sides as long as the lemma, with a distinct joint where it connects to the hairless rachilla, easily falling off from the joint when mature; the palea is about 3 mm long, with rough keels; stamens 3, anthers 1.5-2 mm long, yellow; the caryopsis is about 1.5 mm long.
2. Morphological characteristics of reed grass
Perennial herb, 0.5-2.5 m tall. Rhizome thick and strong, creeping. Culm erect, hollow, 2-10 mm in diameter. Leaf sheaths hairless or with fine hairs; ligule short, densely covered with short hairs; leaf blades flat, 15-35 cm long, 1-3.5 cm wide, smooth or with rough margins. Panicle dense, open, slightly drooping. 8-30 cm long; spikelets laterally compressed, 12-16 mm long, usually containing 3-5 florets; glumes oblong-lanceolate, with 3 veins, the first glume 4-6 mm long, the second glume 6-9 mm long; the first floret is often male, the lemma narrowly lanceolate, 10-14.5 mm long, the palea 3-4 mm long; the second lemma 10-15 mm long, the callus slender, with hairs 6-12 mm long; the palea about 3.5 mm long. Flowering and fruiting period July-September.
Both reed and reed grass can be used as medicine, and both have effects such as clearing heat, promoting fluid production and stopping vomiting, but the two must be clearly distinguished.