[frag-mahy-teez] 
| any of several tall grasses of the genus Phragmites, having plumed heads, growing in marshy areas, esp. the common reed P. australis (or P. communis). |
tēs growing in hedges, equiv. to phrágm(a) fence, breastwork, screen (n. deriv. of phrássein (Attic phráttein) to fence in, hedge around) + -ītēs -ite 1 
| phrag·mi·tes (frāg-mī'tēz) n. Any of several perennial reeds of the genus Phragmites in the grass family, found worldwide in marshes and wetlands and having stems up to nearly 6 meters (20 feet) long. [Latin phragmītēs, kind of reed growing in hedges, from Greek, fencing in, from phragma, fence, from phrassein, to fence in.] |