Taxon:  Phragmites karka (Retz.) Trin. ex Steud.



Summary
Genus:
Phragmites
Family:
Poaceae (alt. Gramineae)
Subfamily:
Arundinoideae
Tribe:
Molinieae
Nomen number:
28094
Place of publication:
Nomencl. bot. ed. 2, 2:324.  1841
Verified:
08/18/2006 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
4 (0  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Basionym
Arundo karka Retz.

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Arundo roxburghii Kunth
Arundo vallatoria L., nom. inval.
Phragmites roxburghii (Kunth) Steud.
Phragmites vallatorius Veldkamp

Images (3 total. Click on image for more.)
Disseminule drawings\; A: Spikelet; B-C: floret in two views

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Backer, C. A. & R. C. Bakhuizen van den Brink, Jr. 1963-1968. Flora of Java.
  2. Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959-. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae.
  3. Coode, M. J. E. et al., eds. 1996. A checklist of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Brunei Darussalam
  4. Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
  5. Editorial Committee of the Flora of Taiwan. 1993-. Flora of Taiwan, ed. 2. Note: = Phragmites vallatoria (L.) Veldkamp
  6. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  7. George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia. Note: = Phragmites vallatoria (L.) Veldkamp
  8. Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim.
  9. Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
  10. Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
  11. Holttum, R. E. et al. 1953-1971. A revised flora of Malaya.
  12. Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
  13. Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
  14. Koyama, T. 1987. Grasses of Japan and its neighboring regions
  15. Lazarides, M. 1980. The tropical grasses of Southeast Asia
  16. Merrill, E. D. 1922-1926. An enumeration of Philippine flowering plants.
  17. Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
  18. Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
  19. Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
  20. Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
  21. Sreekumar, P. V. & V. J. Nair. 1991. Flora of Kerala - grasses.
  22. Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
  23. Turner, I. M. 1995. A catalogue of the vascular plants of Malaya. Gardens' Bull. Singapore vol. 47. Note: = Phragmites vallatoria (L.) Veldkamp
  24. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
  25. Veldkamp, J. F. 1992. Miscellaneous notes on Southeast Asian Gramineae. VII. Blumea 37:233. Note: = Phragmites vallatoria (L.) Veldkamp
  26. Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
  27. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
  28. Zon, A. P. M. van der. 1992. Graminées du Cameroun
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishtropical reed  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaKenya  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaUganda  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaEritrea   
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaEthiopia  Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSomalia  Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSudan   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaBenin   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGhana   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGuinea-Bissau   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaMali   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaNiger   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaNigeria   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaSenegal   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaSierra Leone   
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaCameroon  Zon, A. P. M. van der. 1992. Graminées du Cameroun
1NativeAsia-TemperateArabian PeninsulaYemen  Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaFujian Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaGuangdong Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaGuangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaHainan Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaSichuan Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaYunnan Shengs.Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateEastern AsiaJapan  Koyama, T. 1987. Grasses of Japan and its neighboring regions
1NativeAsia-TemperateEastern AsiaTaiwan   
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentBhutan  Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaArunachal Pradesh Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaAssam Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaBihar Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaDelhi Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaHimachal Pradesh Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaJammu and Kashmir Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaKarnataka Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaKerala Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaMadhya Pradesh Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaMaharashtra Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaManipur Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaMeghalaya Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaNagaland Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaOdisha Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaTamil Nadu Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaTripura Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaUttar Pradesh Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaWest Bengal Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentNepal  Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentPakistan  Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentSri Lanka  Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaCambodia   
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaLaos   
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaMyanmar   
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaThailand   
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaVietnam   
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaBrunei Darussalam   
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaIndonesia   
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaMalaysia   
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaPhilippines   
1NativeAsia-TropicalPapuasiaPapua New Guinea   
1NativeAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaNorthern Territory George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia. Note: = Phragmites vallatoria (L.) Veldkamp
1NativeAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaQueenslandn.George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia. Note: = Phragmites vallatoria (L.) Veldkamp
1NativeAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaSouth Australian.George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia. Note: = Phragmites vallatoria (L.) Veldkamp
1NativeAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaWestern Australian.George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia. Note: = Phragmites vallatoria (L.) Veldkamp
Native
Africa
  • NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Uganda
  • WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Cameroon
  • WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Benin, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone
Asia-Temperate
  • ARABIAN PENINSULA: Yemen
  • CHINA: China [Fujian Sheng, Guangdong Sheng, Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu, Hainan Sheng, Sichuan Sheng, Yunnan Sheng (s.)]
  • EASTERN ASIA: Japan, Taiwan
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Bhutan, India [Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala, Manipur], Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan
  • PAPUASIA: Papua New Guinea
  • INDO-CHINA: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam
  • MALESIA: Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia [Queensland (n.), South Australia (n.), Western Australia (n.), Northern Territory]

Reference(s)
  1. Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
  2. George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia. Note: = Phragmites vallatoria (L.) Veldkamp
  3. Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim.
  4. Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
  5. Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
  6. Koyama, T. 1987. Grasses of Japan and its neighboring regions
  7. Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
  8. Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
  9. Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
  10. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
  11. Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
  12. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
  13. Zon, A. P. M. van der. 1992. Graminées du Cameroun
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=28094. Accessed 25 June 2026.