Neyraudia reynaudiana
Burma reed, silk reed

Non-Native in Florida

Introduced as an ornamental, this new invasive plant is common in south Florida. It can occur in large stands and may easily be mistaken for the native common reed, Phragmites australis. The easiest way to tell the two is that Neyraudia does not have a ring of hairs encircling the stem just below the inflorescence, whereas Phragmites does.


Silk reed is a NON-NATIVE, very large grass. stems clump-forming, erect, to 10 ft. tall, reed-like, nodes bluish; leaf blades strap-like, flat to folded, to 20 in. long, to 3/4 in. wide, rough to touch, midrib thick, long hairs at base; sheaths smooth, collar wooly; ligules large, thin, with long hairs; inflorescence large, plume-like, open, densely hairy, waving; spikelets complex, 4-8 flowered, flowers with long hairs


For more information and pictures about silk reed, as contained in the Langeland/Burks book, Identification & Biology of Non-Native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas, download this Acrobat .PDF file.


The UF/IFAS Assessment lists plants according to their invasive status in Florida. View the list here.

Click here to see the herbarium specimen image of the UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA HERBARIUM DIGITAL IMAGING PROJECTS.

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