This document discusses reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), including its morphological characteristics, life cycle, chemical composition, use of molecular markers for DNA extraction, natural distribution, role in ecosystems, and conclusions. Reed canary grass is a cool-season grass tolerant of flooding that can be used for biofuel production and has medicinal properties. Molecular analysis of its DNA can help characterize populations and understand its preservation and relationships. It provides benefits but can also be invasive and threaten native plant communities.

1. Kiran Sureshrao Gajare
Vytautas Magnus University,
Faculty of Natural Science, veilkos g,8.
Kaunas, Lithuania.
Pharmacist.kiran@rediffmail.com
Guidance : Prof.Eugenija Kupčinskienė

2. Evaluation of molecular diversity
of reed canary grass populations
of riverbanks in Lithuania.

3. Introduction:
Phalaris arundinacea is a cool-season grass that is
very tolerant of flooding and productivity is very
responsive to high levels of nitrogen fertilization,
making it a useful crop for disposal of manure from
live stock operations.
The first cultivation of reed canary grass in North
America likely occurred about the 1830s in the
northeast United States and eastern Canada, near
the same time that cultivation spread from
Scandinavia into other parts of northern Europe

4. Main morphological characters of
Phalaris arundinacea
1. Stem:
Phalaris arundinacea having smooth, sturdy and
usually hallow stems. The bottom of the leaf where it
wraps around the stem.
2. Roots:
Roots are dense and grow vigorously. They are
shallow and produce vegetative shoots which may
produce new plant. Each rhizome can grow
horizontally by more than 3 meter/ year. There are
also dormant buds on rhizomes.
3. Leaves:
The leaf blades of reed canary grass are 0.5cm to 2
cm wide, and are flat, long and tapered, bright green.
It having rough texture but are hairless.

5. 4. Flowers and Fruits:
Flowering begins approximately two months later
and the apical florets will be ripe and shedding their
caryopses by the end of June, while those at the
base are quite immature
Panicles (seed heads) are produce in summer,
usually in 2nd year of growth. They are dense spiky
and narrow when they are immature and open more
widely as they prepare for pollination.
After grow, they change color green to dark purple
brown. The panicles can produce upward of 500
seeds. These seeds are viable for upto 4 years in
soil, through most germinate within 2 years.

6. Life cycle
A wetland plant, this species frequent saturated
soils, but cannot survive extended periods of
standing water.
Rhizome growths occur chiefly during the late
spring and the summer months and are developed
from buds on the nodes of older rhizomes,
especially those behind the terminal shoots. With
the approach of winter these shoots tend
increasingly to turn upwards towards the surface of
the soil.

7. About three fourths of the vegetative growth is
derived from rhizomes and one fourth from buds
in the axils of basal leaves of above-ground
shoots.
The winter-hardiness of such shoots therefore
depends on their position relative to the surface,
and those exposed during the growing season
are killed off in the cold weather.
Flowers occurs in early summer .

8. Flowering begins approximately two months
later and the apical florets will be ripe and
shedding their caryopses by the end of June,
while those at the base are quite immature.

9. Chemical Composition of Phalaris
arundinacea
Complete compositional analysis was done for the
biomass samples. Nitrogen content was determined by
combustion, and crude protein concentration. The lipid
content was determined by exhaustive extraction with
diethyl ether.
Monosaccharide and oligosaccharide elemental
composition of the forage samples for the macro-minerals
is obtained as Ca, Cl, Mg, P, K, Si, and S.
Leaves of P. arundinacea contain DMT, 5-MeO-
DMT and bufotenin

10. Molecular biology and
molecular markers (DNA)
Molecular biology that deals with the formation, structure,
and function of macromolecules essential to life, such as
nucleic acids and proteins, including their roles in cell
replication and the transmission of genetic information.
In this symbiosis, the spectrum of host plants ranges
from liverworts and pteridophytes to gymnosperms and
angiosperms. Root colonization by arbuscular
mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can considerably affect the
growth and health of host plants that benefit from
improved nutrient uptake, higher resistance to drought,
heavy metals, or pathogens

11. DNA extraction and molecular markers
Simply put, DNA Extraction is the removal of
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from the cells or viruses in
which it normally resides.
Extraction of DNA is often an early step in many
diagnostic processes used to detect bacteria and viruses
in the environment as well as diagnosing disease and
genetic disorders.
The purpose of molecular markers of Phalaris
arundinacea is to increase crop yield, accelerate the
process of soil revitalization and plant establishment,
increase the soil inoculum potential, and reduce the
industrial fertilizers input and cultivation costs.

12. Molecular markers are generally considered to
measure neutral DNA variation and consequently are
useful in studies of species (phylogenetic)
relationships, gene flow, hybridization, fingerprinting,
genetic structure of populations, and other
objectives.

13. Natural and invasive range of distribution
Abiotic factors such as disturbance, changes in
hydrological regime, and particularly nutrient runoff to
wetlands can enhance reed canary grass establishment
and vegetative spread.
Phalaris arundinacea is native to Asia, Europe and
North America and is believed to have been cultivated
in Europe since the mid-18th century, starting in
Scandinavia
Invasive plants have drawn worldwide attention
because they threaten loss of diversity and ecosystem
function.

14. Phalaris arundinacea is widely considered a
threat to native wetland plant communities,
especially in wetlands with anthropogenically
altered hydrologic regimes. Phalaris arundinacea
grows rapidly and tends to form monocultures.
Although Phalaris prefers wet, partially flooded
conditions, it does not tolerate deep, standing
water.
Phalaris to aggressively expand from seeds and
rhizomes present in banks and floodplains. The
rapid change in water table also the disrupts the
native herbaceous community.

15. Role in ecosystem
•Interest in reed canary grass as an energy crop
has increased in recent years, it emerging
interest in cellulosic biofuel production.
•N,N-Dimethyltryptamine and reversible
monoamine oxidize inhibitor. Indigenous peoples
used DMT for spiritual and medicinal purposes
for thousands year.
•It has attracted attention as a bioenergy
feedstock because of its high biomass yields and
broad adaptation to a wide range of habitats.

16. •Phalaris arundinacea is also used as
ornamental plant.
•Maximize production of it along with the
accompanying regulating, supporting, and
cultural ecosystem services.

17. Conclusion
The results of this study are the first evidence
suggesting that native reed canary grass germplasm
has been preserved within cultivars of this species,
and this study presented in this paper is a part of
complete project of characterizing a collection of
Phalaris arundinacea.
Reed canary grass is vital for ecosystem, it has
certain benefits like it is used as biofuel, It has
attracted attention as a bioenergy feedstock because
of its high biomass yields and broad adaptation so
we can generating energy from biomass, as well as it
can be also use for medicinal purposes.
Reed canary grass containing a high amount of
alkaloids.
The use of genetic markers of Phalaris arundinacea
begins with extracting proteins or chemicals (for
biochemical markers) or DNA (for molecular
markers) from tissues of the plant (for example,
seeds, foliage, pollen, sometimes woody tissues).