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.
