1. Typha L. (cattail)
Plants
perennial, with thick rhizomes, monoecious. Aerial stems erect, unbranched.
Leaves mostly basal, alternate, 2‑ranked, flat, linear, parallel‑veined
but lacking a thickened midrib, the bases strongly sheathing, with brown or
transparent mucilage glands. Inflorescences dense, spikelike, covered by bracts
during development, these withering at maturity, the staminate‑flowered
portion above the pistillate‑flowered portion. Flowers minute, lacking
true perianth. Staminate flowers with 2–7 linear anthers sessile or nearly so
on a common stalk, this subtended by narrow, hairlike or scalelike bracts.
Fertile pistillate flowers with 1 pistil on a short stalk, this with numerous,
long hairs and sometimes also subtended by narrow, scalelike bracts,
interspersed with nonfunctional, abortive flowers. Styles and stigmas 1 per
flower. Ovules 1 per carpel. Fruits thin‑walled achenes, these dispersed
with the stalk and hairs attached. About 12 species, worldwide.
Cattails
are important wetland plants and provide food and shelter for a variety of
animals. In some situations, however, the plants can become invasive and
displace other wetland vegetation. Nearly all parts of the plants are edible
and have been used as foods by Native Americans, settlers, and natural foods
enthusiasts. The rhizomes are starchy and are eaten raw or cooked, or dried and
ground into a flour. A jelly can be prepared from the fleshy roots. The young
stems and developing inflorescences can also be cooked in various ways.