Reeds growing in saltmarsh in the estuary of the River Tay.

Reed is a common name for several tall, grass-like plants of wetlands.

Varieties

They are all members of the order Poales (in the modern, expanded circumscription), and include:

In the grass family, Poaceae

In the sedge family, Cyperaceae

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

In the family Typhaceae

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

In the family Restionaceae

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

Use in construction

A reed house under construction in the marshes of Iraq, 1978

Many different cultures have used reeds in construction of buildings of various types for at least thousands of years. One contemporary example is the Marsh Arabs.

Thatching

A man in Germany thatching a roof using reeds

Phragmites australis, the common reed, is used in many areas for thatching roofs. In the United Kingdom, common reed used for this purpose is known as "Norfolk reed" or "water reed". However, "wheat reed" and "Devon reed" are not reeds but long-stemmed wheat straw.

Use in music

Ancient Greeks used Arundo donax to make flutes known as kalamaulos; this is a compound word, from kalamos (cane) + aulos (flute). At the time, the best cane for flutes came from the banks of river Kephissos, in Attica, Greece. Several kalamaulos tuned differently and tied together, made a syrinx or Panpipes. A. donax is still the principal source material of reed makers for clarinets, saxophones, oboes, bassoons, bagpipes, and other woodwind instruments.[1] The Var country in southern France contains the best-known supply of instrument reeds.

Other uses

Bamboo and, even more commonly, rattan stems are used as "reed sticks" to wick and disperse the scent of essential oils in aroma diffusers. (See Rattan § Food source.)

See also

Reeds pictured in the coat of arms of Ruokolahti

References

  1. ↑ Opperman, Kalman (1956). Handbook for making and Adjusting Single Reeds. New York, New York: Chappell & Co. p. 40.
Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Reed".
Wikiquote has quotations related to Reed (plant).
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Reed (plant).
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.