Arundo is a genus of stout, perennial plants in the grass family Poaceae.
Description
Arundo is native to southern Europe, North Africa, and much of temperate Asia as far east as Japan. They grow to 3–6 m tall, occasionally to 10 m, with leaves 30–60 cm long and 3–6 cm broad.
Species
Five species are accepted by the Plants of the World Online database:
Arundo donaciformis (Loisel.) Hardion, Verlaque & B.Vila – southeast France, northwest Italy
Arundo donax L. (Giant cane, Spanish cane) – southeast Mediterranean east through southern Asia to Japan; naturalised in many additional areas and often invasive)
Arundo formosana Hack. – Nansei-shoto, Taiwan, Philippines
Arundo micrantha Lam. – Mediterranean region
Arundo plinii Turra (Pliny's reed) – Greece, Italy, Albania, Croatia
Over 200 species were formerly considered part of Arundo but now treated in other genera, including: Achnatherum, Agrostis, Ammophila, Ampelodesmos, Arthrostylidium, Arundinaria, Austroderia, Bambusa, Calamagrostis, Calammophila, Calamovilfa, Chionochloa, Chusquea, Cinna, Cortaderia, Dendrocalamus, Deschampsia, Dupontia, Gastridium, Gigantochloa, Graphephorum, Gynerium, Imperata, Indocalamus, Melica, Miscanthus, Molinia, Muhlenbergia, Neyraudia, Phalaris, Phragmites, Poa, Psammochloa, Rytidosperma, Saccharum, Schizostachyum, Scolochloa, Stipa, Thysanolaena, Trisetaria.
