Reeds growing in the Danube Delta.

Reed is a generic botanical term used to describe numerous tall, grass-like plants of wet places, which are the namesake vegetation of reed beds. They are all members of the order Poales (in the modern, expanded cicrumscription), and include:

In the Poaceae (grass) family

• Common reed (Phragmites australis Cav.), the original species named reed
• Giant reed (Arundo donax L.), used for making reeds for musical instruments
• Burma reed (Neyraudia reynaudiana)
• Reed Canary-grass (Phalaris arundinacea)
• Reed sweet-grass (Glyceria maxima)
• Small-reed (Calamagrostis species)

In the Cyperaceae (sedge) family

• Paper reed or papyrus (Cyperus papyrus), the source of the Ancient Egyptian writing material, also used for making boats

In the Sparganiaceae family

• Bur-reed (Sparganium species)

In the Typhaceae family

• Reed-mace (Typha species), also called bulrush or cattail

In the Restionaceae family

• Cape Thatching Reed (Chrondopetalum tectorum), a restio originating from the South-western Cape, South Africa.
• Thatching Reed (Thamnochortus insignis)another restio species originating from the same geographic region.

For thatching, in which the term "reed" is used differently

• Norfolk reed or water reed, common reed
• Wheat reed or Devon reed, certain kinds of wheat straw

[edit] See also

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Reed.

• Constructed wetland
• Reed bed
• Reed fields
• Thatching

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