The most widely distributed
species in the
genus Arundo, and a member of the
Grass
family.
Arundo donax is best known for its use in the production of
reeds for
wind instruments. It is one of the largest grasses, with stalks growing sometimes to
eight meters high. The stalks are
hollow, with partitions at the
nodes. The
internodes are between 10 and 30 cm long, so another handy use of this plant is in
the making of
cane flutes.
Arundo donax grows in moist areas all over the world. Because it's so widely
distributed, it has many common names, including donax cane, giant reed, bamboo reed,
Italian reed, Spanish reed, Danubian reed, or Provence cane, in English-speaking countries.
It's not the same as the oriental bamboo.
This plant is cultivated in southern France for use in the making of reeds for
clarinet, saxophone, and for the double reeds. It has also been cultivated in
other areas as a source of cellulose for rayon and for making paper.