Invasive SpeciesEuropean common reed

Phragmites australis
FOUND by team_zeezoo
2010-05-23
Cape Elizabeth
ID Confirmed
Quality checked by Petri
Peer reviewed by Petri
Field Notes
I was out taking pictures with my friends. We stopped on this beautiful stretch of Sawyer Road where it crosses the Spurwink Marsh (there are almost always great birds here - we saw a snowy egret and a pair of Canada Geese with 3 goslings). We got out of the car to take pictures and low and behold, a suspiciously tall, robust, spiky grass that I think is Phragmites australis. This is the same location where I saw a more mature stand last year. Last year I called the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge and reported it (I will do so again this year).
A sketch of our study site.
Supporting Evidence
Photo of my evidence.
These are pretty small, young plants if they are indeed Phragmites. One thing I noticed that really makes me think this is Phragmites is the little white tufts I saw where the leaf blades left the stem (see my sketch). I know all these parts have proper names, but I don't know them. The stems had a very rough, striated texture.
Photo of my evidence.
I think this is Phragmites australis because of the way that the leaf blades leave the stem. They have the same spiky appearance as the really tall, mature plants do.
Species Observation: Species Looked For
Did you find it?: 
I think I found it
Scientific name:
Phragmites australis
Common name:
European common reed
Sampling method: 
Just looking around
Photo of our sampling method.
Place Studied
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Map this species
Latitude: 
N 43.587190 °
Longitude: 
W -70.263276 °
Observation Site Information
A photo of our study site.
Habitat: 
Coastal - Saltmarsh
Trip Information
Name:
Sawyer Road and Spurwink Marsh, Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge
Trip date: 
Sun, 2010-05-23 18:00
Town or city: 
Cape Elizabeth
Type of investigation: 
Species Survey
Ecosystem: 
Coastal
Watershed: 
Presumpscot
Time of low tide: 

Comments

Submitted by team_zeezoo on Tue, 2011-09-06 13:31.

thank you, species expert!

Thanks for looking at my observation.

You've reminded me that I need to get back to this spot to see if it's reappeared this year... pesky, persistent plant that it is!

thanks,
tz

Submitted by gbh on Fri, 2010-10-01 09:59.

I've seen that, too

Hi team_zeezoo,

I've seen that clump of tall grasses on that stretch of Sawyer as well. Thanks for reporting it!