Known as the common reed, the European Phragmites first appeared in North America in the 1800s, spreading quickly and aggressively through the wetlands of Canada and the United States.
They grow up to 12-15 feet tall and are causing havoc in the wetlands of North America. Known as Phragmites australis, the non-native common reed is one of the most important and most studied plants in the world. It is also one of the most invasive, said Keith Clay, professor and chair of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Tulane University.
In trying to uncover some of the mysteries surrounding the plant, Clay along with researchers from LSU and the U.S. Geological Survey have published the first reference genome for P. australis, enabling them to determine the genomic bases driving its invasive success, compared to native plants.
Their study was published in Molecular Ecology and featured in a recent edition of The Scientist. Clay’s team includes Kurt P. Kowalski, a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and Maheshi Dassanayake, an associate professor, and Dong-Ha Oh in the LSU College of Science. Research Associate Quynh Quach and former Indiana University student Philippa Tanford also contributed.
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