Phalaris arundinacea
Table of Contents
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID644031fc25f8d761562321 |
| Scientific name | Phalaris arundinacea |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 55 (1753) |
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Reed canarygrass is grown as horticultural plant material (ornamental and restoration plantings). Commercially, the stems are sold as thatch for vernacular roofs, and bundles of stems or rhizomes are used in handicrafts and landscape mulch. Whole-plant biomass is traded as bioenergy feedstock for combustion or anaerobic digestion, and as substrate in constructed wetlands and phytoremediation systems.
Industrial and craft applications:
Coarse bast fibers from stems are used for handcrafts such as rope, mats, and basket-weaving. The plant’s dense swards produce cut stems suitable for thatching small structures and making brooms. In horticulture and erosion control, live or cut stems and rhizomes serve as mulch and soil stabilization media.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
Grain and flour from reed canarygrass have been developed as experimental food ingredients. Starch and flour produced from the grain have been evaluated for gluten-free baking and blending, and for producing spirit-based beverages via fermentation. A named cultivar derived from Phalaris arundinacea var. arundinacea was historically used in Japan as a grain for fermentation into an alcoholic beverage; subsequent breeding produced the separate cereal crop known as Hardinggrass (Phalaris stenoptera).
Colorants and tanning:
No documented tannin or dye uses are reported for reed canarygrass.
Wood and fiber:
No timber uses are documented due to the plant’s herbaceous habit. The stems are used as fiber for coarse craft applications and thatch as described.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
No fragrance or cosmetic uses are documented.
Properties relevant to use:
Stem morphology supports thatch and crafts—straight culms, relatively robust fibers, and dense stands that yield uniform stalk lengths. Vegetative vigor and rhizomatous spread facilitate rapid biomass accumulation, a property exploited for bioenergy and substrate production. The plant’s tolerance of wet and marginal soils underpins its use in phytoremediation and restoration contexts.
Standards and regulation:
Bioenergy and horticultural uses are subject to regional phytosanitary rules for seed and plant movement. Food and beverage uses, where developed, fall under national food safety and labeling regulations for novel or experimental ingredients.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Reed canarygrass is cultivated in temperate regions for restoration and bioenergy, with established supply chains in Europe and North America. Avoidance of invasive genotypes is emphasized in some markets via cultivar selection and provenance controls.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Arundo colorata | Aiton | Hort. Kew. 1: 116 (1789) |
| Arundo riparia | Salisb. | Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton : 24 (1796) |
| Baldingera arundinacea | (L.) Dumort. | Observ. Gramin. Belg. : 130 (1824) |
| Baldingera arundinacea f. colorata | P.Gaertn., B.Mey. & Scherb. | Oekon. Fl. Wetterau 1: 96 1799 |
| Baldingera arundinacea f. umbrosa | Peterm. | Fl. Lips. Excurs. 87 1838 |
| Baldingera arundinacea var. picta | (L.) Nyman | Consp. Fl. Eur. 791 1878 |
| Baldingera arundinacea var. rotgesii | Husn. | Graminées : 87 (1899) |
| Baldingera arundinacea var. variegata | Coss. & Germ. | Fl. Descr. Anal. Paris ed. 2: 784. 1861 |
| Baldingera colorata | G.Gaertn., B.Mey. & Scherb. | Oekon. Fl. Wetterau 1: 96 (1799) |
| Calamagrostis colorata | Sibth. | Fl. Oxon. : 37 (1794) |
| Calamagrostis variegata | With. | Arr. Brit. Pl. ed. 3 , 2: 124 (1796) |
| Digraphis americana | Loudon | Hort. Brit. [Loudon] 27. 1830 |
| Digraphis arundinacea | Trin. | Fund. Agrost. : 127 (1820) |
| Digraphis arundinacea var. picta | (L.) Pacher | Jahrb. Naturhist. Landesmus. Kärnten 14: 119 1880 |
| Endallex arundinacea | Raf. ex B.D.Jacks. | Index Kew. 1: 839. 1893 (1893) |
| Phalaridantha arundinacea | (L.) St.-Lag. | Étude Fl. , éd. 8. 2: 900 (1889) |
| Phalaris monspeliensis | Daveau | Monde Pl. 37(161): 1 (1926) |
| Phalaris americana var. picta | Eaton | Man. Bot. , ed. 8: 352 (1840) |
| Phalaris arundinacea f. luteopicta | Voss. | Vilm. Blumengärtn. ed. 3 2: 1198 1896 |
| Phalaris arundinacea f. minor | Jansen & Wacht. | Ned. Kruidk. Arch. III, 6: 141 1917 |
| Phalaris arundinacea f. pallens | Stebler ex Hegi | Ill. Fl. Mitt.-Eur. 1: 197 1907 |
| Phalaris arundinacea f. pallida | A.F.Schwarz | Fl. Nürnb. 855 1892 |
| Phalaris arundinacea f. picta | (L.) B.P.R.Chéron | Compt. Rend. Soc. Bot. Ardèche 62:15:00. 2018 |
| Phalaris arundinacea f. ramifera | Junge | Jahrb. Hamburg. Wiss. Anst. 22(Beih. 3): 60 1905 |
| Phalaris arundinacea f. ramosa | Gaudin | Fl. Helv. 1: 160. 1828 |
| Phalaris arundinacea f. thyrsoidea | (Willk.) Paunero | Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 8: 489 1948 |
| Phalaris arundinacea f. variegata | (With.) Druce | Fl. Berkshire 556 1898 |
| Phalaris arundinacea subsp. hispanica | (De Coincy) Kerguélen | Bull. Soc. Bot. France 123: 322 (1976) |
| Phalaris arundinacea subsp. oehleri | Pilg. | Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 43: 91 (1909) |
| Phalaris arundinacea subsp. picta | (L.) Arcang. | Comp. Fl. Ital. 755. 1882 (1882) |
| Phalaris arundinacea subsp. rotgesii | (Fouc. & Mandon ex Husnot) Kerguélen | Lejeunia , n.s., 75: 226 (1975) |
| Phalaris arundinacea var. colorata | Hartm. | Handb. Skand. Fl. ed. 4: 22 1843 |
| Phalaris arundinacea var. japonica | (Steud.) Hack. | Bull. Herb. Boissier 7: 646. 1899 |
| Phalaris arundinacea var. leioclada | Maire | Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Afrique N. 32: 217. 1941 |
| Phalaris arundinacea var. picta | L. | Sp. Pl. : 55 (1753) |
| Phalaris arundinacea var. rotgesii | (Husn.) Litard. | Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Corse 42: 195 1922 |
| Phalaris arundinacea var. thyrsoidea | Willk. | Oesterr. Bot. Z. 40: 145. 1890 |
| Phalaris arundinacea var. variegata | Parn. | Grass. Britain : 188 (1845) |
| Phalaris caesia | Nees | Fl. Afr. Austral. Ill. 6. 1841 |
| Phalaris colorata | P.Beauv. | Ess. Agrostogr. : 172 (1812) |
| Phalaris hispanica | Coincy | J. Bot. (Morot) 8: 207 (1894) |
| Phalaris japonica | Steud. | Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1: 11 (1853) |
| Phalaris picta | (L.) Sloboda | Rostlinnictví : 166 (1852) |
| Phalaris rotgesii | (Husn.) Litard. | Bull. Acad. Int. Géogr. Bot. 19: 100. 1910 (1909 publ. 1910) |
| Phalaris tuberinacea | Coville & Ciald. | I.D.I.A. 68: 8. 1953 (1953) |
| Phalaroides arundinacea | (L.) Rauschert | Feddes Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 79: 409 (1969) |
| Phalaroides arundinacea subsp. caesia | (Nees) Tzvelev | Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 10: 80 (1973) |
| Phalaroides arundinacea subsp. japonica | (Steud.) Tzvelev | Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 10: 80 (1973) |
| Phalaroides arundinacea var. picta | (L.) Tzvelev | Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 10: 80 (1973) |
| Phalaroides caesia | (Nees) Holub | Folia Geobot. Phytotax. 12: 428 (1977) |
| Phalaroides hispanica | (Coincy) Holub | Folia Geobot. Phytotax. 12: 428 (1977) |
| Phalaroides japonica | (Steud.) Czerep. | Sosud. Rast. SSSR : 371 (1981) |
| Phalaroides rotgesii | (Hussnot) Holub | Folia Geobot. Phytotax. 12: 428 (1977) |
| Typhoides arundinacea | Moench | Methodus : 202 (1794) |
| Typhoides arundinacea f. colorata | (G.M.Sch.) Soó | Acta Bot. Acad. Sci. Hung. 17: 123 (1971 publ. 1972) |
| Typhoides arundinacea f. schwarzii | Soó | Acta Bot. Acad. Sci. Hung. 17: 123 (1971 publ. 1972) |
| Typhoides arundinacea f. umbrosa | (Peterm.) Soó | Acta Bot. Acad. Sci. Hung. 17: 123 (1971 publ. 1972) |
| Typhoides arundinacea subsp. rotgesii | (Husnot) Gamisans | Candollea 29: 44 (1974) |
| Typhoides arundinacea var. japonica | (Steud.) Tzvelev | Rast. Tsentral. Azii 4: 32. 1968 |
| Phalaroides picta | (L.) Prob. | Fl. Ross. Dal'nego Vostoka : 384 (2006) |
| Phalaris arundinacea var. arundinacea | L. | Species Plantarum 2 1753 |
| Typhoides arundinacea subsp. japonica | Tzvelev | |
| Baldingera arundinacea f. colorata | G.M.Sch. | |
| Typhoides arundinacea f. ramifera | (Junge) Soó | Acta Bot. Acad. Sci. Hung. 17(1-2): 123, without basionym page. 1972 [1971 publ. 1972] |
| Phalaris arundinacea f. coarctata | (Prahl) Junge | Jahrb. Hamburg. Wiss. Anst. Beih. 3: 60 1905 |
| Baldingera arundinacea var. picta | (L.) Peterm. | Fl. Lips. Excurs. 87. 1838 |
| Phalaris rotgesii | (Husn.) Baldini | Webbia 47(1): 13. 1993 [Feb 1993] |
| Baldingera arundinacea f. rotgesii | (Foucaud & Mandon ex Husn.) Foucaud & Mandon | Bull. Soc. Bot. France 47(7): 99 1900 |
| Phalaris arundinacea var. rotgesii | (Foucaud & Mandon ex Husn.) Litard. ex Briq. | Prodr. Fl. Corse 1: 71 1910 |
| Endallex arundinacea | Raf. | in Ser. Bull. Bot. i. (1830) 220. |
| Phalaridantha arundinacea var. variegata | (Parn.) Cariot | Étude Fl., ed. 8 [A. Cariot] ed. 8, 2: 900. 1889 |
| Phalaris arundinacea var. latifolia | Henrard ex Jansen | Fl. Neerl. 243 1951 |
| Phalaroides arundinacea subsp. oehleri | (Pilg.) Valdés & H.Scholz | Willdenowia 36: 664 (2006) |
| Phalaroides arundinacea subsp. rotgesii | (Husn.) Valdés & H.Scholz | Willdenowia 36: 664 (2006) |
| Phalaroides arundinacea var. kuzenevae | Tzvelev | Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 43: 47 (2012) |
| Phalaris arundinacea subsp. typica | Paunero | Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 8: 849 (1948) |
| Baldingera arundinacea var. alba | Tinant | Fl. Luxemb. : 4 (1836) |
| Calamagrostis colorata var. variegata | Chevall. | Fl. Gén. Env. Paris 2: 137 (1827) |
| Phalaris arundinacea var. glauca | Gray | Nat. Arr. Brit. Pl. 2: 141 (1821 publ. 1822) |
| Phalaris arundinacea var. genuina | Hack. | Bull. Herb. Boissier 7(9): 646 (1899) |
| Phalaris arundinacea var. vivipara | N.H.F.Desp. | Fl. Sarthe : 303 (1838) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | reed-grass, reed-canary grass |
| English | reed canarygrass |
| English | reed canary-grass |
| English | reed canary grass |
| Spanish | hierba cinta |
| Arabic | خرفار قصبي |
| Arabic | فالاريس قصبي |
| Belarusian | Чаротніца трыснёгападобная |
| Bulgarian | разклонена тръстичина |
| Catalan | baldingère |
| Czech | chrastice rákosovitá |
| Czech | lesknice rákosovitá |
| Welsh | pefrwellt |
| Danish | rørgræs |
| German | rohr-glanzgras |
| German | rohrglanzgras |
| German | baldingère |
| German | havelmielitz |
| Esperanto | arunda falarido |
| Estonian | päideroog |
| Estonian | harilik paelrohi |
| Estonian | baldingera arundinacea |
| Estonian | digraphis arundinacea |
| Estonian | typhoides arundinacea |
| Persian | فلاریس آراندیناکئا |
| Finnish | ruokohelpi |
| Finnish | viiruhelpi |
| French | alpiste faux roseau |
| French | baldingère faux-roseau |
| French | alpiste faux-roseau |
| French | baldingère |
| Upper Sorbian | wódna błysknica |
| Icelandic | strandreyr |
| Japanese | クサヨシ |
| Korean | 갈풀 |
| Lithuanian | nendrinis dryžutis |
| Lithuanian | baldingère |
| Latvian | parastais miežubrālis |
| Latvian | parastais miežabrālis |
| Latvian | miežabrāļi |
| Norwegian Bokmål | strandrør |
| Nepali | सेतो दूबो |
| Dutch | rietgras |
| pcd | baliyéte |
| pcd | iérpe-du-monte |
| pcd | iérpe-à-ruban |
| Polish | mozga trzcinowata |
| Portuguese | capim-amarelo |
| Romanian | Stuf de Canare |
| Russian | Канареечник тростниковидный |
| Russian | Канареечник тростниковый |
| Russian | Двукисточник тростниковый |
| Russian | Двукисточник тростниковидный |
| Swedish | typhoides arundinacea |
| Swedish | rörflen |
| Swedish | baldingère |
| Turkish | yem kanyaşı |
| Ukrainian | Очеретянка звичайна |
| vep | Šuuk |
| Chinese | 鹬草 |
| Chinese | 鷸草 |
| Chinese | 虉草 |
| Chinese | 五色草 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Africa click to expand
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East Tropical Africa
- Kenya
- Tanzania
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Macaronesia
- Azores
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Northeast Tropical Africa
- Ethiopia
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Northern Africa
- Algeria
- Egypt
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Southern Africa
- Cape Provinces
- Free State
- Kwazulu-Natal
- Lesotho
- Northern Provinces
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West-central Tropical Africa
- Rwanda
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Western Indian Ocean
- Madagascar
- Mauritius
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East Tropical Africa
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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Caucasus
- North Caucasus
- Transcaucasus
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China
- China North-central
- China South-central
- China Southeast
- Inner Mongolia
- Manchuria
- Qinghai
- Xinjiang
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Eastern Asia
- Japan
- Korea
- Nansei-shoto
- Taiwan
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Middle Asia
- Kazakhstan
- Kirgizstan
- Tadzhikistan
- Uzbekistan
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Mongolia
- Mongolia
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Russian Far East
- Amur
- Kamchatka
- Khabarovsk
- Kuril Islands
- Magadan
- Primorye
- Sakhalin
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Siberia
- Altay
- Buryatiya
- Chita
- Irkutsk
- Krasnoyarsk
- Tuva
- West Siberia
- Yakutskiya
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Western Asia
- Afghanistan
- Iran
- Iraq
- Lebanon-Syria
- Turkey
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Caucasus
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Asia-tropical click to expand
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Indian Subcontinent
- East Himalaya
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
- West Himalaya
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Indo-China
- Myanmar
- Vietnam
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Malesia
- Jawa
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Indian Subcontinent
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Australasia click to expand
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Australia
- New South Wales
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia
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New Zealand
- New Zealand North
- New Zealand South
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Australia
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Europe click to expand
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Eastern Europe
- Baltic States
- Belarus
- Central European Russia
- East European Russia
- Krym
- North European Russia
- Northwest European Russia
- South European Russia
- Ukraine
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Middle Europe
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czechoslovakia
- Germany
- Hungary
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Switzerland
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Northern Europe
- Denmark
- Finland
- Føroyar
- Great Britain
- Ireland
- Norway
- Sweden
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Southeastern Europe
- Albania
- Bulgaria
- Greece
- Italy
- Romania
- Turkey-in-Europe
- Yugoslavia
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Southwestern Europe
- Corse
- France
- Portugal
- Sardegna
- Spain
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Eastern Europe
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Northern America click to expand
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Eastern Canada
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Québec
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Mexico
- Mexico Northeast
- Mexico Northwest
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North-central U.S.A.
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Wisconsin
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Northeastern U.S.A.
- Connecticut
- Indiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- West Virginia
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Northwestern U.S.A.
- Colorado
- Montana
- Oregon
- Washington
- Wyoming
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South-central U.S.A.
- New Mexico
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Southeastern U.S.A.
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Delaware
- District Of Columbia
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
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Southwestern U.S.A.
- Arizona
- California
- Nevada
- Utah
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Subarctic America
- Alaska
- Northwest Territorie
- Yukon
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Western Canada
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- Saskatchewan
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Eastern Canada
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Southern America click to expand
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Brazil
- Brazil South
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Southern South America
- Argentina Northeast
- Uruguay
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Western South America
- Colombia
- Peru
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Brazil
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000889610 |
| UNII | XI07X18NHW |
| Canadensys | 7818 |
| USDA Plants | PHAR3 |
| Tropicos | 25509858 |
| INPN | 112975 |
| Flora of Italy | 8770 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:415571-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-433393 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | 285212 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 408214 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 96050 |
| NBN Atlas | NBNSYS0000002669 |
| Nature Serve | 2.159238 |
| IUCN Red List | 164064 |
| IPNI | 415571-1 |
| iNaturalist | 63337 |
| GBIF | 5289756 |
| Freebase | /m/035qqp |
| WisFlora | 4470 |
| FEIS | plants/graminoid/phaaru |
| EPPO | TYPAR |
| EOL | 1114732 |
| Elurikkus | 6176 |
| Calflora (Californian flora) | 6417 |
| US Library of Congress | sh85112157 |
| USDA GRIN | 27512 |
| Wikipedia | Phalaris_arundinacea |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
| Accession | Assembly | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Level | Submitter | Released | Coverage | Size | |
| GCA_977930405.1 | lpPhaArun1.hap1.1 | Chromosome | WELLCOME SANGER INSTITUTE | 2026-01-31 | 43 | 3.98 Gb |
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Indoles and derivatives / Indoles / 3-alkylindoles | |||||
| Gramine | 6890 | Click to see | 174.24 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1071/CH9641301 https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(77)83045-8 |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Indoles and derivatives / Pyridoindoles / Beta carbolines | |||||
| 2-Methyl-6-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline | 5319717 | Click to see | 216.28 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)94432-7 |
| 2-Methyltryptoline | 121896 | Click to see CN1CCC2=C(C1)NC3=CC=CC=C23 | 186.25 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)94432-7 |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Indoles and derivatives / Tryptamines and derivatives | |||||
| 5-Methoxy-N-methyltryptamine | 16184 | Click to see CNCCC1=CNC2=C1C=C(C=C2)OC | 204.27 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1039/JR9580002079 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)89246-8 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Anthocyanins / Anthocyanidin-3-O-glycosides | |||||
| 3-[[(2R,3S,4R,5R,6S)-6-[2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxychromenylium-3-yl]oxy-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]methoxy]-3-oxopropanoic acid | 154496402 | Click to see | 535.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF001399D |
| Chrysanthemin | 44256715 | Click to see | 449.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF001399D |
| Kuromanin | 441667 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=[O+]C3=CC(=CC(=C3C=C2OC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O)O)O)O | 449.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF001399D |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |