The word of the day is
phragmites:
1. any of several tall grasses of the genus Phragmites, having plumed heads, growing in marshy areas, especially the common reed P. australis (or P. communis).
< Greek phragmī́tēs growing in hedges, equivalent to phrágm (a) fence, breastwork, screen (noun derivative of phrássein (Attic phráttein) to fence in, hedge around) (dictionary.com)
"At the Fire Safety booth, the firefighters Lois Mungay and Stephen Comer were remembering some notable urban brush fires. 'By Howard Beach, one time, the dry phragmites reeds were burning like crazy out beyond Cross Bay Boulevard, and we were hauling the hoses around back there in the brush,' Comer said. 'We couldn't even see where the fire was!'"
- Ian Frazier, "Only you", 1 September 2014 The New Yorker
No comments:
Post a Comment