Difference between revisions of "Typha"

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{{SPlantbox
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|familia=Typhaceae
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|genus=Typha
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|common_name=Bulrush, Cat-tail, Reed mace
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|name_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
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|lifespan=perennial
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|water=wet, moist
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|Temp Metric=°F
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|jumpin=If this plant info box on watering; zones; height; etc. is mostly empty you can click on the edit tab and fill in the blanks!
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|image=Typha_latifolia_02_bgiu.jpg
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|image_width=240
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|image_caption=Typha latifolia
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}}
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'''''Typha''''' is a [[genus]] of about eleven [[species]] of [[monocot]]yledonous flowering plants in the [[monogeneric]] family, Typhaceae. The genus has a largely [[Northern Hemisphere]] distribution, but is essentially [[cosmopolitan distribution|cosmopolitan]], being found in a variety of [[wetland]] habitats. These plants are known in [[British English]] as '''bulrush''', '''bullrush''' or '''reedmace''',<ref>''Collins Complete British Wildlife''</ref> in [[American English]] as '''cattail''', '''punks''', or '''[[corndog]] grass''', and in [[New Zealand]] as '''[[raupo]]'''. ''Typha'' should not be confused with other plants known as [[bulrush]], such as some [[Cyperaceae|sedges]] (mostly in ''[[Scirpus]]'' and related [[genus|genera]]).
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''Typha'' leaves are alternate and mostly basal to a simple, jointless stem that eventually bears the flowering spikes. The [[rhizome]]s spread horizontally beneath the surface of muddy ground to start new upright growth, and the spread of ''Typha'' is an important part of the process of open water bodies being converted to vegetated [[marshland]] and eventually dry land.
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''Typha'' plants are [[monoecious]] and bear [[unisexual]], wind-pollinated flowers, developing in dense [[raceme|spike]]s. The numerous male flowers form a narrow spike at the top of the vertical stem. Each male (staminate) flower is reduced to a pair of [[stamen]]s and hairs, and withers once the [[pollen]] is shed.  The very large numbers of tiny female flowers form a dense, [[sausage]]-shaped spike on the stem below the male spike – in larger species this can be up to {{Convert|30|cm|in|sigfig=2}} long and {{Convert|1|to|4|cm|in}} thick. Seeds are minute, {{Convert|0.2|mm|in}} long, and attached to a fine hair.  When ripe the heads disintegrate into dense cottony fluff, from which the seeds [[wind dispersal|disperse by wind]]. ''Typha'' is often among the first wetland plants to colonize areas of newly exposed wet mud; it also spreads by [[rhizomes]], forming dense stands often to the exclusion of other plants.
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{{Inc|
 
{{Inc|
 
Typha (ancient name). Typhaceae. Cat-tail. Reed Mace. Hardy perennial marsh- or swamp-growing herbs, useful in the water-garden or along brooks or the margins of ponds.
 
Typha (ancient name). Typhaceae. Cat-tail. Reed Mace. Hardy perennial marsh- or swamp-growing herbs, useful in the water-garden or along brooks or the margins of ponds.
  
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Plants forming colonies, slender or stout, often tall, smooth: rhizome strong, creeping: sts. erect, simple, base often under water: radical lvs. linear-elongated, rather thick, spongy, with or without ribs; cauline lvs. few and shorter: peduncles erect, terete, strict and not divided: spadices, male and female similar, superposed: fls. monoecious, densely clustered in the cylindrical spadix; perianth consisting of slender hairs: fr. minute, subsessile. — About 17 species, temperate and tropical regions. Monographed by Graebner in Engler's Pflanzenreich, hft. 2 (IV. 8) in 1900.
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Plants forming colonies, slender or stout, often tall, smooth: rhizome strong, creeping: sts. erect, simple, base often under water: radical lvs. linear-elongated, rather thick, spongy, with or without ribs; cauline lvs. few and shorter: peduncles erect, terete, strict and not divided: spadices, male and female similar, superposed: fls. monoecious, densely clustered in the cylindrical spadix; perianth consisting of slender hairs: fr. minute, subsessile. — About 17 species, temperate and tropical regions.  
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{{SCH}}
 
}}
 
}}
  
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{{Taxobox
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==Cultivation==
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| color = lightgreen
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{{edit-cult}}<!--- Type cultivation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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| name = ''Typha''
 
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| image = Typha latifolia 02 bgiu.jpg
 
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| image_width = 240px
 
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| image_caption = ''[[Typha latifolia]]''
 
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| regnum = [[Plantae]]
 
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| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
 
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| classis = [[Liliopsida]]
 
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| ordo = [[Poales]]
 
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| familia = '''Typhaceae'''
 
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| familia_authority = [[Antoine Laurent de Jussieu|Juss.]]
 
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| genus = '''''Typha'''''
 
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| genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
 
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| subdivision_ranks = Species
 
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| subdivision = See text
 
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}}
 
  
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'''''Typha''''' is a [[genus]] of about eleven [[species]] of [[monocot]]yledonous flowering plants in the [[monogeneric]] family, '''Typhaceae'''. The genus has a largely [[Northern Hemisphere]] distribution, but is essentially [[cosmopolitan distribution|cosmopolitan]]. These plants are known as '''bulrush''' or '''bullrush''' (mainly in [[British English]]), '''cattail''' or '''punks''' (mainly in [[American English]]), or in some older British texts or the current guide book ''Collins Complete British Wildlife'' as '''Great Reedmace'''.
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===Propagation===
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[[Image:Typha-cattails-in-indiana.jpg|thumb|''Typha'' plants at the edge of a small wetland in [[Marshall County, Indiana|Indiana]].]]
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{{edit-prop}}<!--- Type propagation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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__TOC__
 
  
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Cattails or bulrushes are [[wetland]] plants, typically 1 to 7 m tall (''T. minima'' is smaller: 0.5-1 m), with spongy, strap-like leaves and starchy, creeping stems ([[rhizome]]s). The leaves are alternate and mostly basal to a simple, jointless stem that eventually bears the flowers. The rhizomes spread horizontally beneath the surface of muddy ground to start new upright growth, and the spread of cattails is an important part of the process of open water bodies being converted to vegetated [[marshland]] and eventually dry land.
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===Pests and diseases===
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{{edit-pests}}<!--- Type pest/disease info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
  
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''Typha'' plants are [[monoecious]], wind-pollinated, and bear [[unisexual]] flowers developing in dense, complex [[raceme|spike]]s. The male flower spike develops at the top of the vertical stem, above the female flower spike (see figure below). The male (staminate) flowers are reduced to a pair of [[stamen]]s and hairs and wither once the [[pollen]] is shed, leaving a short, bare stem portion above the female [[inflorescence]]. The dense cluster of female flowers forms a cylindrical spike some 10 to as much as 40 cm long and 1 to 4 cm broad. Seeds are minute (about 0.2 mm long), and attached to a thin hair or stalk, which effects wind dispersal. ''Typha'' are often among the first wetland plants to colonize areas of newly exposed wet mud.
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==Species==
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Partial list{{wp}}:
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Some classifications include the genus ''Sparganium'' ([[Sparganiaceae]]) in Typhaceae.
 
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== Species ==
 
 
*''[[Typha angustifolia]]'' - Lesser Bulrush or Narrow Leaf Cattail
 
*''[[Typha angustifolia]]'' - Lesser Bulrush or Narrow Leaf Cattail
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*''Typha angustifolia x T. latifolia'' - Hybrid or White Cattail
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*''[[Typha capensis]]'' - Cape bulrush
 
*''[[Typha domingensis]]'' - Southern Cattail
 
*''[[Typha domingensis]]'' - Southern Cattail
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*''Typha'' ×''glauca'' (''angustifolia'' × ''latifolia'') - Hybrid or White Cattail
 
*''[[Typha latifolia]]'' - Common Cattail
 
*''[[Typha latifolia]]'' - Common Cattail
 
*''[[Typha laxmannii]]'' - Laxman's Bulrush
 
*''[[Typha laxmannii]]'' - Laxman's Bulrush
 
*''[[Typha minima]]'' - Dwarf Bulrush
 
*''[[Typha minima]]'' - Dwarf Bulrush
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*''[[Typha muelleri]]'' - Raupo
 
*''[[Typha orientalis]]'' - Raupo
 
*''[[Typha orientalis]]'' - Raupo
 
*''[[Typha shuttleworthii]]'' - Shuttleworth's Bulrush
 
*''[[Typha shuttleworthii]]'' - Shuttleworth's Bulrush
  
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The most widespread species is ''Typha latifolia'', extending across the entire temperate Northern Hemisphere. ''T. angustifolia'' is nearly as widespread, but does not extend so far north. ''T. domingensis'' is a more southerly [[The Americas|American]] species, extending from the [[United States|U.S.]] to [[South America]], while ''T. laxmannii'', ''T. minima'' and ''T. shuttleworthii'' are largely restricted to [[Asia]] and parts of southern [[Europe]].
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The most widespread species is ''Typha latifolia'', extending across the entire temperate Northern Hemisphere. ''T. angustifolia'' is nearly as widespread, but does not extend so far north. ''T. domingensis'' is a more southerly [[The Americas|American]] species, extending from the [[United States|U.S.]] to [[South America]], while ''T. laxmannii'', ''T. minima'' and ''T. shuttleworthii'' are largely restricted to [[Asia]] and parts of southern [[Europe]]{{wp}}.
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[[Image:Typha latifolia 02 bgiu.jpg|thumb|left|''Typha latifolia'']]
 
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''Typha'' plants grow along lake margins and in marshes, often in dense colonies, and are sometimes considered a weed in managed wetlands. The plant's root systems help prevent [[erosion]], and the plants themselves are often home to many insects, birds and [[amphibia]]ns.
 
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In North America, the native cattails are increasingly being supplanted by the [[Invasive species|invasive]] [[purple loosestrife]] ''Lythrum salicaria''.
 
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==Edible uses==
 
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Cattail has a wide variety of parts that are edible to humans. The [[rhizomes]] are a pleasant, nutritious and energy-rich food source, generally harves
 
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ted from late Fall to early Spring. These are starchy, but also fibrous, so the starch must be scraped or sucked from the tough fibers.  In addition to the rhizomes, cattails have little-known, underground, lateral stems that are quite tasty. In late Spring, the bases of the leaves, while they are young and tender, can be eaten raw or cooked. As the flower spike is developing in early Summer, it can be broken off and eaten, and in mid-Summer, once the flowers are mature, the [[pollen]] can be collected and used as a flour supplement or thickener.
 
  
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==Stuffing==
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==Gallery==
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[[Image:IMG 1077.JPG|thumb|''Typha'' seeds are very small, embedded in down parachutes, and very effectively wind-dispersed]]
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{{photo-sources}}<!-- remove this line if there are already 3 or more photos in the gallery  -->
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The disintegrating heads are used by some birds to line their nests. The downy material was also used by [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]]s as [[tinder]] for starting fires.
 
  
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Native American tribes also used cattail down to line [[moccasins]] and [[Cradle board|papoose boards]]. An Indian name for cattail meant, “fruit for papoose’s bed”. Today some people still use cattail down to stuff clothing items and pillows.
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<gallery>
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Image:IMG 1077.JPG|''Typha'' seeds are very small, embedded in down parachutes, and very effectively wind-dispersed
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Image:Upload.png| photo 1
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Image:Upload.png| photo 2
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Image:Upload.png| photo 3
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</gallery>
  
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The down has also been used to fill [[Personal flotation device|life vests]] in the same manner as [[kapok]].
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==References==
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*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
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<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->
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<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
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<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
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* [http://cattails.wordpress.com International Society Of People Who Sleep With Cattail Pillows]
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*{{wplink}}
  
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[[Category:Poales]]
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{{stub}}
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[[Category:Root vegetables]]
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__NOTOC__
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[[Category:Inflorescence vegetables]]
 
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[[Category:Underutilized crops]]
 

Latest revision as of 13:50, 5 May 2010


Typha latifolia


Plant Characteristics
Lifespan: ⌛ perennial
Cultivation
Water: ◍ wet, moist
Scientific Names

Typhaceae >

Typha >


If this plant info box on watering; zones; height; etc. is mostly empty you can click on the edit tab and fill in the blanks!


Typha is a genus of about eleven species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the monogeneric family, Typhaceae. The genus has a largely Northern Hemisphere distribution, but is essentially cosmopolitan, being found in a variety of wetland habitats. These plants are known in British English as bulrush, bullrush or reedmace,[1] in American English as cattail, punks, or corndog grass, and in New Zealand as raupo. Typha should not be confused with other plants known as bulrush, such as some sedges (mostly in Scirpus and related genera).

Typha leaves are alternate and mostly basal to a simple, jointless stem that eventually bears the flowering spikes. The rhizomes spread horizontally beneath the surface of muddy ground to start new upright growth, and the spread of Typha is an important part of the process of open water bodies being converted to vegetated marshland and eventually dry land.

Typha plants are monoecious and bear unisexual, wind-pollinated flowers, developing in dense spikes. The numerous male flowers form a narrow spike at the top of the vertical stem. Each male (staminate) flower is reduced to a pair of stamens and hairs, and withers once the pollen is shed. The very large numbers of tiny female flowers form a dense, sausage-shaped spike on the stem below the male spike – in larger species this can be up to 30 cm in long and 1 to 4 cm thick. Seeds are minute, 0.2 mm in long, and attached to a fine hair. When ripe the heads disintegrate into dense cottony fluff, from which the seeds disperse by wind. Typha is often among the first wetland plants to colonize areas of newly exposed wet mud; it also spreads by rhizomes, forming dense stands often to the exclusion of other plants.


Read about Typha in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 

Typha (ancient name). Typhaceae. Cat-tail. Reed Mace. Hardy perennial marsh- or swamp-growing herbs, useful in the water-garden or along brooks or the margins of ponds.

Plants forming colonies, slender or stout, often tall, smooth: rhizome strong, creeping: sts. erect, simple, base often under water: radical lvs. linear-elongated, rather thick, spongy, with or without ribs; cauline lvs. few and shorter: peduncles erect, terete, strict and not divided: spadices, male and female similar, superposed: fls. monoecious, densely clustered in the cylindrical spadix; perianth consisting of slender hairs: fr. minute, subsessile. — About 17 species, temperate and tropical regions. CH


The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.


Cultivation

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Propagation

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Pests and diseases

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Species

Partial listwp:

The most widespread species is Typha latifolia, extending across the entire temperate Northern Hemisphere. T. angustifolia is nearly as widespread, but does not extend so far north. T. domingensis is a more southerly American species, extending from the U.S. to South America, while T. laxmannii, T. minima and T. shuttleworthii are largely restricted to Asia and parts of southern Europewp.

Gallery

If you have a photo of this plant, please upload it! Plus, there may be other photos available for you to add.

  • Typha seeds are very small, embedded in down parachutes, and very effectively wind-dispersed

  • photo 1

  • photo 2

  • photo 3

References

External links


  1. ↑ Collins Complete British Wildlife
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