Typhaceae : Typha angustifolia
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Family Name
Typhaceae
Common Name
Narrowleaf Cattail
Native American Name
Lakota: wihúta hú, hiŋtkáŋ
Description
Typha angustifolia is a perennial herb of wetlands, arising from a stout, creeping rhizome and forming dense colonies, with simple stems reaching up to 3 m tall. The alternate leaves are both basal and cauline, stiff, linear and flat, green, 6-10 mm wide, the uppermost leaves usually reaching well above the flowering spikes. The rounded leaf sheath has a narrow papery edging, near the tip of the sheath where it meets the blade, especially the on upper leaves. The single stems are unbranched, erect and light green. The plants are monoecious, with the brown male flower spike above, up to 20 cm long, separated by 1-8 cm of bare rachis. The brown female spike is about the same length and width, reaching up to 2 cm in diameter in fruit. The fruit is an achene covered in white hairs and with a short stalk. Narrowleaf cattail blooms from May into July in wetlands throughout South Dakota.
Horticulture Notes
Seed collection: Collect seeds in the summer, fall or winter when they begin to appear as white fluff.
Germination: Seeds are not dormant and can be planted in fall or spring. Starting seeds in the greenhouse provides good results. The seeds need light so plant shallowly.
Vegetative propagation: New shoots from rhizomes can be separated and transplanted.
Light: Full sun.
Soil: Tolerant of most soils.
Water: Moist to standing water.
Additional Notes
Narrowleaf cattail is thought to be introduced to SD from coastal regions in the US or from Europe. Its rhizomes are starchy and can be pounded into a flour. The young shoots can be harvested and eaten raw or pickled. The fluff (seeds) were once used as padding for cradle boards by the Dakota peoples. Identification of Typha species can be difficult, as they hybridize freely. Planting them in a water feature can be problematic as they tend to spread rapidly and force most other species out.