Introduction
Cattails (Typha spp.) are a type of aquatic, marshy plant with long, erect linear leaves and distinctive brown, cigar-like structures at the top. The word “cattail” refers to the shape of the inflorescence, which resembles a cat’s tail (Britannica, 2022). Cattails typically grow in shallow, wet environments like marshes, wetlands, ditches, and the edges of ponds. They are characterized by their tall, reed-like leaves and the unique dense spike at the top that contains the flowers and seeds.
The parts of a cattail consist of the leaves, the stalk, the roots underneath the water, the sausage-like inflorescence at the top which contains the flowers, and fluffy material that surrounds the seeds. The spike is the defining characteristic of cattails and this is where the male and female flowers are located. In the following sections, we’ll take a closer look at each part of the cattail and what’s inside.
The Leaves
Cattails have long, flat, blade-like leaves that emerge from the base of the plant. The leaves are smooth, narrow, and range in color from bright green to blue-green. They are arranged vertically to form dense clusters. The leaves can grow up to 0.5 inches wide and 5 feet tall. The leaves contain parallel veins that run lengthwise along the blade. Depending on the species, the tip of the leaf may be pointed, rounded, or tapered to a narrow wedge shape. The leaves grow both above and below the waterline in wetland areas. They efficiently absorb nutrients and sunlight due to their large surface area and vertical orientation. Cattail leaves are used for various purposes including weaving baskets and mats, thatching roofs, and providing insulation. The Wicker Woman provides tips on gathering cattail leaves for weaving projects.
The Stalk
The cattail plant has a tall, erect stalk that holds up the inflorescence at the top. This stalk grows straight up from the center of the plant and can reach heights of 3-10 feet (1-3 m). The stalk is made up of tightly packed leaves that wrap around each other to create a stiff, sturdy support structure.
As the stalk grows taller, the lower leaves often wither and fall away, leaving the stalk looking hollow in some spots. The stalk continues growing through the summer, elongating little by little each day. By late summer, it reaches its full height in time for the inflorescence to emerge.
The stalk is not edible and has no culinary or medicinal uses. However, Native Americans traditionally used the dried stalks for weaving mats, baskets, hats, and even boats. The stalk’s hollow, tubular shape makes it naturally waterproof and buoyant [1].
Cattail stalks are also great tinder for fires when dried. The soft pith on the inside ignites easily even when damp. Survival experts recommend finding and preparing cattail stalks ahead of time if venturing into the wilderness.
The Roots
Cattails have a dense, fibrous root system that forms a mat below the surface of the soil or water where they grow. The roots can extend over 6 feet into the ground and spread horizontally as well. The primary roots are thick, creeping rhizomes that branch into thinner roots that absorb nutrients and water (citation goes here).
These rhizomatous roots are edible and starchy, similar to potatoes. They are a great survival food in the wild since they are available year-round. The roots are best harvested in fall and winter when the starches are concentrated after the summer’s growth. The roots can be peeled, boiled, and eaten like a potato. Some people also grind the roots into flour. The roots have a mild, slightly sweet flavor (citation goes here).
In addition to food, cattail roots have traditionally been used to make a type of starch paste for clothing and paper. The gelatinous paste in the roots can also help soothe burns when applied topically. However, caution should be used when harvesting roots as some wetland species have similar leaves to cattails but poisonous roots.
The Inflorescence
The most striking part of the cattail is the inflorescence, which is the cone-shaped spike that forms at the top of the stalk. The inflorescence is actually made up of many tiny individual flowers packed densely together. The male flowers are located above the female flowers on the inflorescence.
The male flowers have yellow pollen and bloom first in early summer. Once the male flowers release their pollen, they fall off the inflorescence, leaving behind the bare cigar-shaped spike of unfertilized female flowers. The female flowers have no petals or sepals and consist only of the ovary with a thread-like stigma to catch the pollen from the male flowers overhead. If pollinated, the female flowers develop into tiny brown fruits that contain the seeds. This is why the inflorescence turns brown later in the season – it is filled with ripening seeds.[1]
The inflorescence is technically a spikelet since each individual flower is very small and clustered together along the main stalk. The dense grouping helps increase pollination success between the male and female flowers.
The Male Flowers
The upper portion of the cattail’s inflorescence contains the male flowers. These flowers are very densely packed together in a cylinder shape around a central spike. Each male flower contains a light yellow anther that produces pollen. The anthers are positioned above the filaments, which hold them up (Source). The male flowers extend slightly above the female flowers below them, allowing the pollen to be dispersed by wind onto the female flowers for pollination.
The male flowers are slender and about 0.04–0.08 in (1–2 mm) long. They have a light yellow pointed tip and shed abundant yellow pollen. The male flowers are located directly above the female flowers on the inflorescence (Source). The male flowers bloom first, before the female flowers open, to allow pollination to occur.
The Female Flowers
The lower part of the cattail’s inflorescence contains the female flowers. These flowers are brown and elongated in shape. Unlike the male flowers in the upper part, the female flowers do not release pollen into the air. Instead, they contain the ovules that can be fertilized by pollen from the male flowers in order to produce seeds.
Each female flower consists of a single pistil made up of an ovary, a slender style, and two thin stigmas. The ovary contains a single ovule that will develop into a seed if fertilized. The stigmas are elongated and brush-like in order to capture any airborne pollen.
The female flowers mature into “cattail heads” that burst open to disperse their many tiny seeds. Each of these small seeds has a tuft of hairs attached to aid in wind dispersal. The fluffy white pieces often seen blowing in the wind around cattails are the remnants of the female flowers after the seeds have dispersed. While they may look similar to the male flowers, they serve a very different reproductive purpose.
Overall, the female flowers play the crucial role of housing the ovules needed to produce the next generation of cattail plants. Their specialized structures allow them to efficiently receive pollen from their male counterparts.
Source: http://www.bio.brandeis.edu/fieldbio/Wildflowers_Kimonis_Kramer/PAGES/COMMONCATTAIL_PAGE_FINAL.html
The Fluff
The fluff of a cattail is made up of hundreds of tiny seeds attached to fine, cotton-like hairs. The fluff forms after the male flowers have pollinated the female flowers, which then develop into seeds. As the seeds mature in late summer and fall, these cottony strands emerge and surround each seed. The fluff serves to aid in wind dispersal of the seeds. The tiny hairs allow the seeds to be picked up by the wind and blown away to start new cattail plants in other areas. The fluff is very lightweight and can blow long distances in the breeze before settling and sinking when landing in water. The fluff looks similar to cotton candy and can be gathered for various uses. However, it’s not recommended to eat the fluff raw as the fine hairs can irritate the throat. Traditionally, the fluff has been used for stuffing pillows, diapers, clothing insulation and tinder. It can also be spun into yarn or cordage, or used decoratively in dried floral arrangements. When the seeds disperse from the fluff and germinate, the new generation of cattails continues the growth cycle.
Other Uses
Cattails have a wide variety of uses for both humans and animals beyond just food. Native Americans used cattail leaves to weave watertight mats for shelter as well as baskets, mats, and even seats. The seed fluff makes excellent tinder for starting fires and can also be used as insulation in clothing or stuffed into pillows and bedding. Animals like muskrats also use cattails to build shelters. They eat the roots and leaves year-round for food. Beavers, ducks, geese, and other waterfowl all rely on cattails for nesting material and nutrition.
Medicinally, cattail roots can soothe burns and cuts when pounded into a paste and applied topically. The jelly-like pith scraped from young stalks can help stop bleeding from wounds. All parts of the plant were used to treat diarrhea and urinary tract infections. Modern research has shown the root extracts contain antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Conclusion
Cattails are fascinating wetland plants with unique structures and adaptations. To summarize, cattails have long, flat leaves that help them absorb sunlight. Their stalks transport water and nutrients between the roots and leaves. Cattail roots spread out to collect water and anchor the plant. At the top is an inflorescence containing the flowers. This is composed of a dense spike with many tiny male flowers on top and female flowers below. After pollination, the female flowers produce the fluffy material that allows cattail seeds to disperse by wind. While cattails grow in marshy areas, every part of the plant has traditionally been used by humans, including the edible shoots, starch from roots, and material for insulation. By examining the anatomy of a cattail, we gain appreciation for how the form and function of this ubiquitous plant are perfectly suited to its wetland habitat.
