Marshes of the alliance Phragmition australis include monodominant stands of tall grasses and other grass-like plants, which spread both clonally through rhizomes as well as by seed. This reed vegetation occurs in the littoral zones of lentic and lotic wetlands. Most of the dominant species have firm and flexible stems, which are resistant to disturbances by wave action and strong wind; they can therefore form a fringe even around large water bodies. This vegetation type is distributed across Europe and is also found on other continents.