Article

Considerable differences in rhizome anatomy of the six reed species known from the Mediterranean area, may serve as excellent diagnostic characters which may be used to distinguish between Phragmites and Arundo species. There is an air-storing tissue (aerenchyma) of rectangular or rounded holes at the rhizome periphery of Phragmites. In the periphery of the Arundo rhizome there is a thick layer of parenchyma with occasional bundles of conducting elements. The solid pachyrhizomes of Arundo donax cannot be confused with those of the other reeds which are hollow.