Nature lovers often have to watch reeds swaying near the water bodies, reeds swaying near the shore. The sound of this plant resembles a quiet night rustling. The fluffy tops seem to look into the lake surface like in a mirror. Many village kids use them for their fun. And today we’ll talk about a plant called reeds. You will learn about plant species, properties, applications, interesting facts about it. Photos of the reed plant will clearly demonstrate to you its main features.
Plant description
What is reed is known to almost everyone. Bulrush refers to perennial and annual coastal-aquatic plants of the sedge family. There are 300 species of this plant. It grows throughout the planet, but is most often found in the temperate and subtropical zones. On the territory of the Russian Federation you can meet 20 of its species.
We remind those who do not know what cane is - it is a perennial, less often annual plant with a creeping or shortened rhizome. It differs in cylindrical or trihedral leafy stems. Foliage is often scaly. Inflorescences may consist of one, several, or multiple capitate or paniculate spikelets. The flowers themselves are bisexual.
The word "reed" has a colloquial form - "cattail". The most common reeds are those that have three-sided stiff stems with seated, linear, folded leaves resembling sedge. He has branchy and umbrella-shaped inflorescences. In the damp places of the middle strip there are a lot of the most ordinary forest reeds. You will find a description of the plant later in the article.
We will tell you about the six main species of this plant. You do not know what reed? Fans of ponds easily immediately imagine it. Many confuse him with cattail broadleaf, but this is a completely different plant in the sedge family.
Places of growth
The habitat for growing reeds is Europe, Asia, the Caucasus, the Near and Far East, Hindustan, and North Africa. Especially a lot of it in the Columbia River Basin. His favorite places are banks, river deltas, swamps, ditches. The Japanese even learned to cultivate it, to use for weaving.
Most suitable for reed planting is neutral and slightly acidic moist soil. He loves shallow water and full sunshine. Some species may grow in the shade.
Lake view
Often the shores of lakes, small rivers, and the old people of the temperate zones of Siberia, Europe, North America, and the Caucasus are decorated with lake reeds. The lake species refers to a perennial plant with a height of 1 to 2.5 m. It has a creeping hollow rhizome. It is characterized by cylindrical stems and scaly leaves. Inflorescences have a corymbose-paniculate shape. The size of the spikelets is 8-12 mm in length. They have a brown color. Near the flowers may be 1-2 leaves. Flowering occurs in late spring, early summer.
The plant is often used to decorate ponds. Its variegated form is used for design. The lake view is distinguished by pale yellow stems up to 1.5 m high.
Bristle plant
After our description, it will be more clear to you what reed is. Another of its species is the thyroid. He loves damp sandy places, the banks of ponds. The zone of its growth is Europe, the Caucasus, southwest Siberia, Central and Western Asia, India.
The bristle-shaped reed is an annual plant, reaching a height of only 20 cm. It is characterized by numerous thin narrow leaves. On the stems can be from 1 to 4 small panicles collected at the top of the stem. Near the flower there is one leaf, which is higher than the inflorescence itself. Spikelets have a dark purple hue. This species blooms in late May.
Forest reeds
Although this species is called forest, it can be found least often in forests. He loves swamps, overgrown lakes, ponds, marshy river banks, reservoirs. Forest reeds also prefer raw meadows, lowlands with stagnant water. This species has a creeping rhizome and can reach about a meter in height. The top of the stem looks like a magnificent panicle. The stem has a trihedral shape and is covered with long leaves, which have a rough structure at the edges. Flowering forest reeds begins in late June. The plant forms extensive thickets over time.
Sea view
A close view is reed. He is still referred to a new separate genus. Its peculiarity is that it is adapted to saline soil and water. Has a creeping rhizome, stems up to 1 m and leaves 3-6 cm wide. The top of the marine species is similar to a star-shaped umbrella-shaped inflorescence of brown color.
The stems have a trihedral shape. Its difference from other species in thickened at the ends of underground shoots resembling small tubers. They are edible because they contain a lot of starch. Tubers are boiled or eaten raw.
Red-Brown Tabernemontana
The original reed of Tabernemontan is very similar to the lake view. He has reddish-brown spikelets covered with scales and small warts. He loves brackish water. Grows on the banks of rivers and lakes. Most common in the cold temperate zone of Eurasia. Why does this species have such a strange name? The fact is that the pseudonym Tabernemontana was worn by the German botanist Müller. This reed is named in his honor.
Rooted look
The peculiarity of this species is that in the spring it is painted brown-red. In summer, the leaves turn green. He has very unusual sterile stems. They are long and beautifully curved. These bends cause the plant to touch the water and a new bush begins to sprout. There are many other types of reeds. Among them - spiky, bristle-shaped, decorative.
Propagation and care of the plant
In nature, the propagation of reeds occurs with the help of seeds. It also very often comes out by dividing the rhizome. To propagate a certain variety of plants, division of bushes is used. Make a transplant in early May or September.
Reeds do not require special care. It grows very much, and its long rhizomes themselves give self-seeding. A rooting look is very quickly taken. For a month or two, he gives a lot of new stems.
The use of reeds, interesting facts
This plant is used to decorate gardens in a natural style. It complements the shallow-water plant compositions. Bulrush is an excellent background for spectacular water lilies, egg capsules and other plants that float on the water surface. Shady gardens are also decorated with certain types of reeds. Often it forms an impenetrable wall of stems, resembling a two-meter hedge. Inflorescence pollen is transferred from one plant to another by the wind. For ponds, it is very useful, because it prevents water pollution.
The reeds are good because they weave shopping bags, baskets, mats, rugs. They are decorated with wicker products made of twigs. Leaves are most used. For green products, they are cut in July, and for yellow in September. To make them elastic, drying is carried out in the shade. Sometimes used as fuel. In the twentieth century, reed concrete was made from it for rural construction.
The plant was used not only by Russians, but also by other peoples. The British insulated castles and huts for them. He made the air dry. The reed thickets were a favorite place for hunters, because wild birds like to hide there.
Among the Egyptians, reeds were also popular. The Old Testament says that the prophet Moses was found in a reed wicker basket. And in many myths, kids were saved in just such a wicker basket. The Romans sent by water in a similar container from the reeds of the babies Romulus and Remus (the founders of Rome). In one of the hymns to the death god Yama, a reed flute is mentioned.
In Central Asia, a plant was added to make gypsum. It was perfect for building floors in seismically hazardous areas. In Russia, it was used as thermal insulation. In pre-revolutionary times, special reed slabs were made, which were installed in the walls of railway cars.
Healing properties of the forest species
Forest cane is widely used in folk medicine. Healers use its pollen, stems, leaves, rhizomes. It is believed that it restores blood well and heals wounds. For this purpose, even its down is used. An ointment is made from it with the addition of oil and lubricate burns. Diabetes mellitus, gastritis, enteritis, dysentery, diarrhea, heavy menstrual flow with pain, insomnia are treated with plant leaves.
Bulrush is an excellent diuretic and diaphoretic, normalizing the functioning of the kidneys, reducing swelling, maintaining blood sugar. Broth rhizomes treat colitis and increase immunity. Tea is brewed from the inflorescences of reeds, which reduces heart pain and shortness of breath. It is worth recalling once again that it contains a lot of starch and ascorbic acid.