Genetic confirmation of Phragmites australis subsp. americanus (Saltonst., P.M. Peterson, & Soreng) on Long Island, NY, and comparison with Phragmites australis subsp. australis

John E. Potente^1,* and Douglas L. Wendell²

¹Native America, 471 N Broadway #234, Jericho, NY 11753. ²Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309. *Corresponding author.

Northeastern Naturalist, Volume 33, Issue 2 (2026): 282–294

First published early online: 21 June 2026

Abstract
The 2 subspecies of Phragmites australis (Common Reed; Poaceae: Arundinoideae) found in North America, the native Phragmites australis subsp. americanus (American Common Reed, hereinafter “native Phragmites”) and the introduced Phragmites australis subsp. australis (Eurasian Common Reed, hereinafter“introduced Phragmites”), share morphological similarities, which complicates identification in the field. This study validates a historical report of native Phragmites in the tidal marsh of Fireplace Neck State Tidal Wetland on Long Island in Brookhaven, NY. We revisited the site and observed what appeared to be a small stand of native Phragmites in the marsh. We collected floral and leaf specimens for morphological and genetic analysis. We also sampled a creeping form of Phragmites with red stolons that we found growing in an adjacent area and analyzed it for comparison with known native and introduced Phragmites. We used 2 polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methods to confirm subspecies, indicating the presence of native Phragmites. The creeping Phragmites with red stolons showed genetic markers for introduced Phragmites, demonstrating that color traits may overlap between the 2 subspecies, requiring genetic analysis for their differentiation.

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