Narrowleaf cattail

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Onglets

Description

This aquatic plant, also known as lesser bulrush, stands out through its particular flowering. Blooms are borne on elongated brown spikes that form over the summertime. The lower part of the spike is made up of several densely packed female flowers, while the upper part is composed of more widely spaced male flowers.

Its stem grows 1 to 3 m tall.

The leaves, slender and linear, are what differentiates this species from common bulrush (Typha latifolia).

The narrowleaf cattail takes root in the substrate thanks to its creeping rhizomes.

Reproduction

This perennial species flowers in the summer, between June and August in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, including Québec.

Fertilization happens solely by way of pollen falling on the female flowers situated under the male flowers.

The seeds of this cattail are then dispersed by wind and sometimes by birds, when they cling to their feathers.

Seeds are produced in quantity. It is generally estimated that a single female inflorescence can produce between 100,000 and 250,000 seeds.

This cattail also reproduces via its underground rhizome.

Habitat, distribution

The narrowleaf cattail is widespread in the northern hemisphere, in Europe and in Asia as well as in North America.

It grows in marshes, ditches, and on the banks of lakes and rivers. In Québec, it is often found along the St. Lawrence and its main tributaries.

Ecology

The rhizomes and leaves of this plant are an important food source for several animals, among them muskrats and beavers. Certain species of riverine birds build their nests with cattail leaves.

Plants in the Typha genus play a major ecological role on the shorelines where they grow. In fact, they contribute to stabilizing the banks thanks to their dense, creeping rhizomes. They are also capable of filtering certain pollutants from the water.

The narrowleaf cattail comprises a favorable habitat for several species of birds and aquatic and semiaquatic animals.

Uses and effects

Formerly, different parts of the plant were used in basketry, insulation, food (young shoots, pollen) and even as building material. Down produced by the inflorescences was also used for padding life jackets.

In our time, narrowleaf cattails are used in ecological wetlands restoration projects, for filtering wastewater and in phytoremediation projects.

Scientific name

Typha angustifolia

French name

Quenouille à feuilles étroites

Plant form

Herbaceous aquatic plant

Family

Typhaceae

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Narrowleaf cattail

Onglets

Description

Reproduction

Habitat, distribution

Ecology

Uses and effects

Scientific name

French name

Plant form

Family

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