Typha latifolia

''Typha latifolia'' (broadleaf cattail, bulrush, common bulrush, common cattail, cat-o'-nine-tails, great reedmace, cooper's reed, cumbungi) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the genus ''Typha''. It is found as a native plant species in North and South America, Eurasia, and Africa.

Description

''Typha latifolia'' grows 1.5 to 3 metres (5 to 10 feet) high and it has leaves broad. It will generally grow from 0.75 to 1'' ''m (2 to 3'' ''ft) of water depth.

Distribution and habitat

It is found as a native plant species in North and South America, Eurasia, and Africa."Typha latifolia (aquatic plant)"
Global Invasive Species Database. Retrieved 2011-02-21. In Canada, broadleaf cattail occurs in all provinces and also in the Yukon and Northwest Territories, and in the United States, it is native to all states except Hawaii."Typha latifolia, U.S. Forest Service Fire Effects Information Database"
U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved 2011-02-20 It is an introduced and invasive species, and is considered a noxious weed in Australia and Hawaii. It has been reported in Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines. It is referred to as ''Soli-soli'' in the Philippines.

The species has been found in a variety of climates, including tropical, subtropical, southern and northern temperate, humid coastal, and dry continental. It is found at elevations from sea level to 2,300'' ''m (7,500'' ''ft.

''T. latifolia'' is an "obligate wetland" species, meaning that it is always found in or near water."USDA Plant Guide: Typha latifolia"
United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2011-02-20. The species generally grows in flooded areas where the water depth does not exceed , but has also been reported growing in floating mats in slightly deeper water. It grows mostly in fresh water but also occurs in slightly brackish marshes. The species can displace other species native to salt marshes upon reduction in salinity. Under such conditions the plant may be considered aggressive since it interferes with preservation of the salt marsh habitat.

''T. latifolia'' shares its range with other related species, and hybridizes with ''Typha angustifolia'', narrow-leaf cattail, to form ''Typha × glauca'' (''T. angustifolia × T. latifolia''), white cattail. Common cattail is usually found in shallower water than narrow-leaf cattail.

Uses

Traditionally, the plant has been a part of certain indigenous cultures of British Columbia, as a source of food, medicine, and for other uses. The rhizomes are edible after cooking and removing the skin, while peeled stems and leaf bases can be eaten raw or cooked. The young flower spikes, young shoots, and sprouts at the end of the rootstocks are edible as well.Turner, Nancy J. ''Food Plants of Interior First Peoples'' (Victoria: UBC Press, 1997) The pollen from the mature cones can be used as a flavoring. The starchy rootstalks are ground into meal by Native Americans.

It is not advisable to eat specimens deriving from polluted water as it absorbs pollutants and in fact is used as a bioremediator. Specimens with a very bitter or spicy taste should not be eaten.YouTube - Wild Living with Sunny: episode 4
Video describing collection and cooking of common cattail.

References

External links

– Edible parts and identification

U. of Michigan-Dearborn: Ethnobotany

{{Taxonbar, from=Q147520

latifolia
Aquatic plants
Flora of Europe
Flora of Asia
Flora of Africa
Flora of North America
Flora of South America
Plants used in Native American cuisine
Plants used in traditional Native American medicine
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus