Cattails

Cattails (2011-10-10 13-13-51)

If you have spent any time around a pond anywhere in the northern hemisphere, you have most likely come across one or more of the species of cattail. Also known as bulrushes, there are nine known species, the most widespread of which is Typha latifolia, the Common Cattail and Typha angustifolia, the Narrow Leaf Cattail.

Description

The cattail is monocotyledonous. The long stems have no joints with a flowering spike at the end. The female flowers bunch together to form the sausage-like structure near the top. The male flower is the thin spike located just above the female flower. They are pollinated by wind.

Ecology

Cattails are often one of the first plants to colonize muddy areas. Its dense canopy tends to exclude the growth of other plants.

They often provide a nesting site for Red-winged Blackbirds.

Food Value

The rhizomes (a modified subterranean stem which can send out roots) of the cattail are edible and a high-energy source of food. Its protein content is comparable to rice and corn. They can be ground into flour and there is archaeological evidence that this has been done for quite some time.

The outer portion of young plants can be removed and the heart eaten raw or boiled.

The base of the leaves can also be eaten raw or boiled if gathered in late spring when they are young and tender.

If the green flower spike is picked in early summer, the sheath can be removed and the spike can be boiled and eaten like corn on the cob. In mid-summer, the pollen can be collected from mature male flowers and used as a flour supplement or thickener.

The seeds make great feed for chicken and cattle.

List of Species

* Typha angustifolia - Lesser Bulrush, Narrow Leaf Cattail (America) or Jambu (India)
* Typha domingensis - Bulrush, Southern Cattail (America) or Narrow-leaved Cumbungi (Australia)
* Typha × glauca (angustifolia × latifolia) - Hybrid or White Cattail. Sterile hybrid.[9]
* Typha latifolia - Common Cattail
* Typha laxmannii - Laxman's Bulrush
* Typha minima - Dwarf Bulrush
* Typha orientalis - Broadleaf Cumbungi (Australia) or Raupo (New Zealand)
* Typha capensis - Cape Bulrush
* Typha shuttleworthii - Shuttleworth's Bulrush

Sources

* Cattails. http://www.cattails.info/
* Wikipedia: Typha https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typha

© 2017 Gary J. Sibio. All rights reserved.