The aim of the present study is to investigate the anti-oxidative physiology in cellular redox environment of two ecotypes of reed (Phragmites communis Trin.) inhabiting in the desert region of China. Dune reed (DR) and Gobi salt reed (GSR) are selected from the Tengger Desert of northwest China, and the swamp reed (SR) is selected as control. The results indicate that the level of lipid peroxidation, the contents of hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide and the ratio of carotenoids/chlorophyll are high in DR and GSR, and the levels in GSR are higher than in DR. It indicates that there is a high level of oxidation in GSR and DR, especially in GSR. The antioxidant defense system analysis show that DR and GSR possess higher activities of superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase and nitric oxide synthase than SR; Compared with SR, there is no significant differences in the activities of catalase and glutathione reductase for DR and GSR, and activity of peroxidase in DR and GSR is obviously lower than those in SR. Na+/K+-ATPase and Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPase, which relate to the ability of osmotic regulation of membrane, show a higher activities in GSR than those in DR and SR. These results suggest that the adaptation to saline or drought of common reed contributes to the high resistance to the oxidative stress related to apperceive environmental conditions.