Typha angustifolia | |
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Foliage and flowering stem; note the gap between the female (lower section, brown) and male (upper, yellowish) flowers. Late June; UK. | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Poales |
Family: | Typhaceae |
Genus: | Typha |
Species: | T. angustifolia |
Binomial name | |
Typha angustifolia | |
Synonyms [2] | |
Synonyms list
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Typha angustifolia is a perennial herbaceous plant in the genus Typha , native throughout most of Eurasia and locally in northwest Africa; it also occurs widely in North America, where its native status is disputed. It is an "obligate wetland" species that is found in fresh water or brackish locations. It is known in English as lesser bulrush, [3] [4] [5] and in American as narrowleaf cattail. [6]
Typha angustifolia grows 1.5–2 metres (4 ft 11 in – 6 ft 7 in) high (rarely to 3 m) and has slender leaves 3–12 mm (0.12–0.47 in) broad, obviously slenderer than in the related Typha latifolia ; ten or fewer leaves arise from each vegetative shoot. The leaves are deciduous, appearing in spring and dying down in the autumn. [4] [7] [8] The flowering stem is 1–1.5 metres (3 ft 3 in – 4 ft 11 in) tall, distinctly shorter than the leaves and hidden among them, unlike Typha latifolia where the flowering stem is as tall as or taller than the leaves. The flowers form in a dense cluster at the top of the main stem; they are divided into a female portion below, and a tassel of male flowers above; the female and male parts are separated by a gap of 3–8 centimetres (1.2–3.1 in) (rarely to 12 cm) of bare stem, which distinguishes the species readily from Typha latifolia where there is no gap between the female and male flowers. [4] [7] Flowering is in June to July; after this, the male portion falls off, leaving the female portion to form a rusty-brown fruit head 13–25 mm diameter, maturing into the familiar sausage-shaped spike. The gap between the female and male flowers remains visible as a smooth part at the base of the spike that held the male flowers. The seed heads persist through the winter, and then gradually break up in spring to release the tiny seeds embedded in hairs which assist with wind dispersal. [4] [8] [9] The plants have sturdy, rhizomatous roots that can extend 70 centimetres (28 in) and are typically 2–4 centimetres (0.79–1.57 in) diameter. [8]
The species is universally accepted to be native across most of Eurasia, and in the far northwest of Africa, where it is widely distributed in temperate and subtropical regions, growing in marshes, wetlands, and along the edges of ponds and lakes. [2] Its status in North America, accepted as native by some, [2] remains far from clear. In 1987 it was argued that the species was introduced from Europe to North America, with a human-mediated arrival on the east coast between 1800–1820. [10] Later, pollen data gave credence to the idea that the species was present in North America pre-contact, [11] but subsequent examination of this question suggests it remains very uncertain: "T. angustifolia is likely not native with European origins", with the species no more than "possibly native to the tidal wetlands of the eastern seaboard". [12] Within North America, it is also thought to have spread recently from coastal to inland locations. [13]
The geographic range of Typha angustifolia overlaps with the very similar species Typha latifolia . T. angustifolia can be distinguished from T. latifolia by its narrower leaves and by a clear separation of two different regions (staminate flowers above and pistilate flowers below) on the flowering heads. [4] T. angustifolia often occurs in deeper water than T. latifolia, and is more tolerant of wetlands with low eutrophication conditions. [4] [3]
The two species can produce hybrids, named as Typha × glauca (Typha angustifolia x T. latifolia); it is a sterile F1 hybrid, which reproduces only vegetatively, forming clonal colonies, which may be extensive. [14]
Several parts of the plant are edible, including during various seasons the dormant sprouts on roots and bases of leaves, the inner core of the stalk, green bloom spikes, ripe pollen, and starchy roots. [15] [16] It can be prepared in the same way as Typha latifolia. [17] The edible stem is called bồn bồn in Vietnam. photo
Typha is a genus of about 30 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. These plants have a variety of common names, in British English as bulrush or reedmace, in American English as cattail, or punks, in Australia as cumbungi or bulrush, in Canada as bulrush or cattail, and in New Zealand as reed, cattail, bulrush or raupo. Other taxa of plants may be known as bulrush, including some sedges in Scirpus and related genera.
Claytonia perfoliata, commonly known as miner's lettuce, rooreh, Indian lettuce, or winter purslane, is a flowering plant in the family Montiaceae. It is an edible, fleshy, herbaceous, annual plant native to the western mountain and coastal regions of North America.
Typha latifolia is a perennial herbaceous wetland plant in the genus Typha. It is known in English as bulrush, and in American as broadleaf cattail. It is found as a native plant species throughout most of Eurasia and North America, and more locally in Africa and South America. The genome of T. latifolia was published in 2022.
Sagittaria latifolia is a plant found in shallow wetlands and is sometimes known as broadleaf arrowhead, duck-potato, Indian potato, or wapato. This plant produces edible tubers that have traditionally been extensively used by Native Americans.
Rumex acetosella, commonly known as red sorrel, sheep's sorrel, field sorrel and sour weed, is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family Polygonaceae. Native to Eurasia and the British Isles, the plant and its subspecies are common perennial weeds. It has green arrowhead-shaped leaves and red-tinted deeply ridged stems, and it sprouts from an aggressive and spreading rhizome. The flowers emerge from a tall, upright stem. Female flowers are maroon in color.
Iris pseudacorus, the yellow flag, yellow iris, or water flag, is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. It is native to Europe, western Asia and northwest Africa. Its specific epithet pseudacorus means "false acorus", referring to the similarity of its leaves to those of Acorus calamus, as they have a prominently veined mid-rib and sword-like shape. However, the two plants are not closely related.
Lamium amplexicaule, commonly known as henbit dead-nettle, is a species of Lamium native to most of Europe, Asia and northern Africa. Its status in Great Britain and Ireland is disputed; some sources give it as native, while others cite it as an archaeophyte. The specific name refers to the amplexicaul leaves.
Iris versicolor is also commonly known as the blue flag, harlequin blueflag, larger blue flag, northern blue flag, and poison flag, plus other variations of these names, and in Great Britain and Ireland as purple iris.
Hemerocallis fulva, the orange day-lily, tawny daylily, corn lily, tiger daylily, fulvous daylily, ditch lily or Fourth of July lily, is a species of daylily native to Asia. It is very widely grown as an ornamental plant in temperate climates for its showy flowers and ease of cultivation. It is not a true lily in the genus Lilium, but gets its common name from the superficial similarity of its flowers to Lilium and from the fact that each flower lasts only one day.
Impatiens pallida, with the common names pale jewelweed, pale touch-me-not, or yellow jewelweed, is a flowering annual plant in the family Balsaminaceae native to Canada and the United States. It grows in moist to wet soils, generally alongside the closely related Impatiens capensis, producing flowers from midsummer through fall.
Phragmites australis, known as the common reed, is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae. It is a wetland grass that can grow up to 20 feet tall and has a cosmopolitan distribution worldwide.
Juncus xiphioides is a species of rush known by the common name irisleaf rush.
Blitum nuttallianum, is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common names povertyweed and Nuttall's povertyweed. It is native to North America, where it is widespread and common from Alaska to Mexico to New England. It can be found in many types of habitat, including disturbed areas, often favoring wet places. It is a fleshy annual herb producing two or more erect, reddish, hairless stems up to about 40 centimeters tall. The thick lance-shaped or arrowhead-shaped leaves are up to 4 centimeters in length. Clusters of several rounded flowers each appear in the leaf axils and yield small fruits about 2 millimeters wide.
Typha domingensis, known commonly as southern cattail or cumbungi, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Typha.
Yucca glauca is a species of perennial evergreen plant, adapted to xeric (dry) growth conditions. It is also known as small soapweed, soapweed yucca, Spanish bayonet, and Great Plains yucca.
Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family known by the common names softstem bulrush, grey club-rush, and great bulrush. It can be found throughout much of the world; it has been reported from every state in the United States, and from every province and territory in Canada except Nunavut. It grows in moist and wet habitat, and sometimes in shallow water.
Typha minima, common name dwarf bulrush or miniature cattail or least bulrush, is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Typhaceae family.
Medeola virginiana, known as Indian cucumber, cucumber root, or Indian cucumber-root, is an eastern North American plant species in the lily family, Liliaceae. It is the only currently recognized plant species in the genus Medeola. It grows in the understory of forests. The plant bears edible rhizomes that have a mild cucumber-like flavor.
Typha × glauca is a hybrid species of plant originating as a cross between T. angustifolia and T. latifolia. It shows invasive behavior in the Midwestern United States
The distributional history of the narrow-leaved cattail, a brackish water species native to the Atlantic coast, is debatable. The plant is thought to have invaded inland slowly with the early canal, railroad, and highway systems. It began a rapid inland expansion in through Central New York in the first half of the 20th Century when the de-icing of highways using salt became more widespread.