| Typha angustifolia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 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
| |
Typha angustifolia is aperennialherbaceous plant in the genusTypha,native throughout most ofEurasia and locally in northwestAfrica; it also occurs widely inNorth America, where its native status is disputed. It is an "obligate wetland" species that is found in fresh water orbrackish locations. It is known in English aslesser bulrush,[3][4][5] and in American asnarrowleaf cattail.[6]
Typha angustifolia grows 1.5–2 metres (4 ft 11 in – 6 ft 7 in) high (rarely to 3 m) and has slenderleaves 3–12 mm (0.12–0.47 in) broad, obviously slenderer than in the relatedTypha 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, unlikeTypha 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 fromTypha 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]
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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 ofTypha angustifolia overlaps with the very similar speciesTypha latifolia.T. angustifolia can be distinguished fromT. 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 thanT. latifolia, and is more tolerant of wetlands with loweutrophication conditions.[4][3]
The two species can producehybrids, named asTypha × glauca (Typha angustifolia x T. latifolia); it is a sterileF1 hybrid, which reproduces only vegetatively, formingclonal 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 asTypha latifolia.[17] The edible stem is calledbồn bồn in Vietnam.photo
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.
