Typha latifolia

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Typha latifolia
Bulrush (Typha latifolia) (8139113636).jpg
Mature seedhead
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Typhaceae
Genus: Typha
Species:
T. latifolia
Binomial name
Typha latifolia
L.
Synonyms [2] [3]
Synonyms list
  • Massula latifolia(L.) Dulac
  • Typha ambiguaSchur ex Rohrb.
  • Typha angustifolia var. inaequalisKronf.
  • Typha angustifolia var. mediaKronf.
  • Typha angustifolia var. sonderiKronf.
  • Typha crassaRaf.
  • Typha elatiorRaf. (illegitimate)
  • Typha elatiorBoreau (illegitimate)
  • Typha elongataDudley
  • Typha engelmanniiA.Br. ex Rohrb.
  • Typha intermediaSchur
  • Typha latifolia var. ambiguaSond.
  • Typha latifolia var. angustifoliaHausskn.
  • Typha latifolia var. bethulona(Costa) Kronf.
  • Typha latifolia subsp. capensisRohrb.
  • Typha latifolia f. divisaLouis-Marie
  • Typha latifolia var. elataKronf.
  • Typha latifolia var. elatiorGraebn.
  • Typha latifolia var. elongataDudley
  • Typha latifolia subsp. eulatifoliaGraebn.
  • Typha latifolia var. gracilisGodr.
  • Typha latifolia fo. remotaSkvortsov
  • Typha latifolia subsp. maresii (Batt.) Batt.
  • Typha latifolia var. obconicaTkachik
  • Typha latifolia var. orientalis(C.Presl) Rohrb.
  • Typha latifolia var. remotiuscula(Schur) Simonk.
  • Typha latifolia subsp. shuttleworthii(W.D.J.Koch & Sond.) Stoj. & Stef.
  • Typha latifolia var. transsilvanica(Schur) Nyman
  • Typha latifolia var. typicaRothm.
  • Typha majorCurtis
  • Typha mediaPollini (illegitimate)
  • Typha palustris Bubani
  • Typha pendula Fisch. ex Sond.
  • Typha remotiuscula Schur
  • Typha spathulifoliaKronf.

Typha latifolia is a perennial herbaceous wetland plant in the genus Typha . It is known in English as bulrush [4] [5] (sometimes as common bulrush [6] to distinguish from other species of Typha), and in American as broadleaf cattail. [7] 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. [8]

Contents

Other names

Typha latifolia is also sometimes known as great reedmace (mainly historical, [9] but occasionally still in modern use [10] ), common cattail, cat-o'-nine-tails,[ citation needed ] cooper's reed,[ citation needed ] cumbungi.[ citation needed ]

Description

Typha latifolia grows 1.5 to 3 metres (5 to 10 feet) high [6] [11] and it has leaves 2–4 centimetres (341+12 inches) broad. It will generally grow from 0.75 to 1 m (2 to 3 ft) of water depth.[ citation needed ] The leaves are deciduous, appearing in spring and dying down in the autumn. [5]

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 contiguous, which distinguishes the species readily from Typha angustifolia where there is a 3–8 cm gap of bare stem between the female and male flowers. Flowering is in June to July; after this, the male portion falls off, leaving the female portion to form a fruit head maturing into the familiar brown sausage-shaped spike. 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. [5]

Distribution and habitat

British Columbia, Canada

It is found as a native plant species widely in Eurasia and North America, and more locally in Africa and South America. [12] In Canada, it 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. [13] [14] It is an introduced and invasive species, and is considered a noxious weed in Australia and Hawaii. [15] 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. [12]

The species has been found in a variety of climates, including tropical, subtropical, southern and northern temperate, humid coastal, and dry continental. [14] It is found at elevations from sea level to 2,300 metres (7,500 ft).[ citation needed ]

T. latifolia is an "obligate wetland" species, meaning that it is always found in or near water. [16] The species generally grows in flooded areas where the water depth does not exceed 0.8 m (2+12 ft), [17] but has also been reported growing in floating mats in slightly deeper water. [14] It grows mostly in fresh water but also occurs in slightly brackish marshes. [16] 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. [16] [18]

T. latifolia shares its range with other related species, and hybridizes with Typha angustifolia (lesser bulrush or narrow-leaf cattail) to form Typha × glauca (T. angustifolia × T. latifolia). [14] T. latifolia is usually found in shallower water than T. angustifolia. [19]

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. [20] [21] [22] The pollen from the mature cones can be used as a flavouring. [23] The starchy rootstalks are ground into meal by Native Americans. [21]

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. [24]

In Greece, the plant is used in a dried form for traditional chair making, namely in the woven seat of the chair. To prepare the material, the plant is collected in the summer and left to dry for 40–50 days.[ citation needed ]

In San Francisco, a town in the Pacijan Island of the Camotes Islands of Cebu, Philippines, the plant, known by the name Soli-soli, is used as a type of weaving fibre and/or material in making mats, bags, hats, and other organic accessories and ornaments. Soli-soli weaving is considered as one of the main livelihoods of the townspeople, showcasing the local crafts of the San Franciscohanons, as well as offering a viable outlet for cultural expression and eco-tourism. The town even celebrates the overabundance of this plant in the island and the weaving industry through the Soli-soli Festival, a festival of thanksgiving dedicated to Saint Joseph, the patron saint of the town. The festival is celebrated around the 19th of March, the solemnity of St. Joseph, the Spouse of Mary. The townspeople incorporate the plant in their festival costumes, oftentimes wearing outfits made completely from woven Soli-soli.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<i>Typha</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Typhaceae

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 hot dog plant, reed, 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.

<i>Matricaria discoidea</i> Species of flowering plant

Matricaria discoidea, commonly known as pineappleweed, wild chamomile, disc mayweed, and rayless mayweed, is an annual plant native to North America and introduced to Eurasia where it grows as a common herb of fields, gardens, and roadsides. It is in the daisy family Asteraceae. The flowers exude a chamomile/pineapple aroma when crushed. They are edible and have been used in salads and to make herbal tea.

<i>Elaeagnus angustifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Elaeagnus angustifolia, commonly called Russian olive, silver berry, oleaster, or wild olive, is a species of Elaeagnus, native to Asia and limited areas of eastern Europe. It is widely established in North America as an introduced species.

<i>Glebionis segetum</i> Species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

Glebionis segetum is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, probably native only to the eastern Mediterranean region but now naturalized in western and northern Europe as well as China and parts of North America. Common names include corn marigold and corn daisy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leech Lake</span> Lake in the state of Minnesota, United States

Leech Lake is a lake located in north central Minnesota, United States. It is southeast of Bemidji, located mainly within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, and completely within the Chippewa National Forest. It is used as a reservoir. The lake is the third largest in Minnesota, covering 102,947.83 acres (416.6151 km2) with 195 miles (314 km) of shoreline and has a maximum depth of 156 feet (48 m).

<i>Pandanus tectorius</i> Species of plant

Pandanus tectorius is a species of Pandanus (screwpine) that is native to Malesia, Papuasia, eastern Australia, and the Pacific Islands. It grows in the coastal lowlands typically near the edge of the ocean. Common names in English include thatch screwpine, Tahitian screwpine, hala tree and pandanus. The fruit is edible and sometimes known as hala fruit.

<i>Sagittaria latifolia</i> Species of aquatic plant

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.

<i>Sanguisorba minor</i> Species of flowering edible herb in the rose family Rosaceae

Sanguisorba minor, the salad burnet, garden burnet, small burnet, burnet, pimpernelle, Toper's plant, and burnet-bloodwort, is an edible perennial herbaceous plant in the family Rosaceae. It has ferny, toothed-leaf foliage; the unusual crimson, spherical flower clusters rise well above the leaves on thin stems. It generally grows to 25–55 cm tall. The large, long, taproots store water, making it drought-tolerant.

<i>Lamium amplexicaule</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<i>Typha angustifolia</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Typhaceae

Typha angustifolia L. is a perennial herbaceous plant of genus Typha. This cattail is an "obligate wetland" species that is commonly found in the northern hemisphere in fresh water or brackish locations.

<i>Hordeum murinum</i> Species of grass

Hordeum murinum is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae, commonly known as wall barley or false barley. It is a close relative of cultivated barley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juncus xiphioides</span> Species of grass

Juncus xiphioides is a species of rush known by the common name irisleaf rush.

<i>Bolboschoenus fluviatilis</i> Species of flowering plant in the sedge family Cyperaceae

Bolboschoenus fluviatilis, the river bulrush, is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family, Cyperaceae. Its range includes Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Canada, the United States, and northeastern Mexico. B. fluviatilis and its fruits are important as food sources for waterfowl such as geese, ducks, bitterns, and swans. It also provides cover and nesting sites for these and other species of birds, as well as small mammals. Like other Bolboschoenus species, B. fluviatilis has strong tubers and rhizomes which help to stabilize intertidal habitats by preventing erosion.

<i>Typha domingensis</i> Species of plant

Typha domingensis, known commonly as southern cattail or cumbungi, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Typha.

<i>Prunus angustifolia</i> Species of tree

Prunus angustifolia, known commonly as Chickasaw plum, Cherokee plum, Florida sand plum, sandhill plum, or sand plum, is a North American species of plum-bearing tree. It was originally cultivated by Native Americans before the arrival of Europeans. The species' name angustifolia refers to its narrow leaves. It became the official state fruit of Kansas in 2022.

<i>Typha minima</i> Species of aquatic plant

Typha minima, common name dwarf bulrush or miniature cattail or least bulrush, is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Typhaceae family.

Typha shuttleworthii is a species of cattail found in southern Europe as well as in Iran and Turkey.

<i>Chilacis typhae</i> Species of true bug

Chilacis typhae, the bulrush bug, is a species of true bug in the family Artheneidae. It is found in Europe and Northern Asia and North America.

<i>Typha <span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> glauca</i> Species of aquatic plant

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

References

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  13. Flora of North America vol 22 p 282.
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  24. YouTube - Wild Living with Sunny: episode 4 Video describing collection and cooking of common cattail.