Typha latifolia

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}} {{Speciesbox |image = Bulrush (Typha latifolia) (8139113636).jpg |image_caption = Mature seedhead |status = LC |status_system = IUCN3.1 |status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Lansdown, R.V. |date=2017 |title=''Typha latifolia'' |volume=2017 |article-number=e.T164165A84300723 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T164165A84300723.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref> |genus = Typha |species = latifolia |authority = L. |synonyms = {{collapsible list|bullets = true |title=Synonyms list |''Massula latifolia'' (L.) Dulac |''Typha ambigua'' Schur ex Rohrb. |''Typha angustifolia'' var. ''inaequalis'' Kronf. |''Typha angustifolia'' var. ''media'' Kronf. |''Typha angustifolia'' var. ''sonderi'' Kronf. |''Typha crassa'' Raf. |''Typha elatior'' Raf. (illegitimate) |''Typha elatior'' Boreau (illegitimate) |''Typha elongata'' Dudley |''Typha engelmannii'' A.Br. ex Rohrb. |''Typha intermedia'' Schur |''Typha latifolia'' var. ''ambigua'' Sond. |''Typha latifolia'' var. ''angustifolia'' Hausskn. |''Typha latifolia'' var. ''bethulona'' (Costa) Kronf. |''Typha latifolia'' subsp. ''capensis'' Rohrb. |''Typha latifolia'' f. ''divisa'' Louis-Marie |''Typha latifolia'' var. ''elata'' Kronf. |''Typha latifolia'' var. ''elatior'' Graebn. |''Typha latifolia'' var. ''elongata'' Dudley |''Typha latifolia'' subsp. ''eulatifolia'' Graebn. |''Typha latifolia'' var. ''gracilis'' Godr. |''Typha latifolia'' fo. ''remota'' Skvortsov |''Typha latifolia'' subsp. ''maresii'' (Batt.) Batt. |''Typha latifolia'' var. ''obconica'' Tkachik |''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. ''typica'' Rothm. |''Typha major'' Curtis |''Typha media'' Pollini (illegitimate) |''Typha palustris'' Bubani |''Typha pendula'' Fisch. ex Sond. |''Typha remotiuscula'' Schur |''Typha spathulifolia'' Kronf. }} |synonyms_ref = <ref>[http://www.tropicos.org/Name/33200002?tab=synonyms Tropicos, Typha latifolia]</ref><ref>[http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/kew-271005 The Plant List, Typha latifolia]</ref> }}

'''''Typha latifolia''''' is a perennial herbaceous wetland plant in the genus ''Typha''. It is known in English as '''bulrush'''<ref name=BSBI_Atlas2020>{{cite web |title=Bulrush ''Typha latifolia'' L. |work=BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020 |editor1=P.A. Stroh |editor2=T. A. Humphrey |editor3=R.J. Burkmar |editor4=O.L. Pescott |editor5=D.B. Roy |editor6=K.J. Walker |publisher=Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland |date=2020 |url=https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.9bp |access-date=15 June 2024 }}</ref><ref name = "Streeter">Streeter D, Hart-Davies C, Hardcastle A, Cole F, Harper L. 2009. ''Collins Flower Guide''. Harper Collins {{ISBN|9-78-000718389-0}}</ref> (sometimes as '''common bulrush'''<ref name=Wild_Flower_Web>{{cite web |title=Common Bulrush |work=Wild Flower Web |author=Aaron Kitching |url=http://www.wildflowerweb.co.uk/plant/75/common-bulrush |access-date=15 June 2024 }}</ref> to distinguish from other species of ''Typha''), and in North America as '''broadleaf cattail.'''<ref>{{PLANTS|id=TYLA|taxon=Typha latifolia|access-date=12 December 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Widanagama |first1=Shane D |last2=Freeland |first2=Joanna R |last3=Xu |first3=Xinwei |last4=Shafer |first4=Aaron B A |date=2021-11-22 |title=Genome assembly, annotation, and comparative analysis of the cattail ''Typha latifolia'' |journal=G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics |volume=12 |issue=2 |article-number=jkab401 |doi=10.1093/g3journal/jkab401 |issn=2160-1836 |pmc=9210280 |pmid=34871392}}</ref>

== Description == ''Typha latifolia'' grows 1.5 to 3 metres (5 to 10 feet) high<ref name=Wild_Flower_Web/><ref name="Uni California">{{Cite web |title=Cattails (Typha spp.) |url=https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/WEEDS/cattails.html |access-date=2023-06-10 |website=University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources Statewide Integrated pest Management Program}}</ref> and it has leaves {{Convert|2–4|cm|abbr=off|frac=4}} broad. It will generally grow from 0.75 to 1'' ''m (2 to 3'' ''ft) of water depth.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}} The leaves are deciduous, appearing in spring and dying down in the autumn.<ref name = "Streeter"/>

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.<ref name = "Streeter"/>

{{gallery|mode=packed |Typha flwrs.jpg|Flowerhead in late spring showing the male (staminate) flowers above the female (pistillate) flowers |Typha latifolia 02 bgiu.jpg|Mature seedheads in late summer, Romania |Typha latifolia Finland.jpg|Mature seedheads in late summer, Lappeenranta, Finland |Rohrkolben Typha 1.JPG|Seed head with seeds dispersing |Typha latifolia (Common bulrush) stem cross section, Arnhem, the Netherlands.JPG|Cross section of plant's pseudostem, formed of overlapping leaf bases }}

==Taxonomy== It was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753.<ref name = ", 1753">Linné, Carl von, & Salvius, Lars. (1753). Caroli Linnaei ... Species plantarum :exhibentes plantas rite cognitas, ad genera relatas, cum differentiis specificis, nominibus trivialibus, synonymis selectis, locis natalibus, secundum systema sexuale digestas... (Vol. 2, p. 971). Impensis Laurentii Salvii. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/358992</ref><ref name = "IPNI">''Typha latifolia'' L. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved January 5, 2026, from https://www.ipni.org/n/836870-1</ref> ===Natural hybrids=== Together with ''Typha laxmannii'' {{au|Lepech.}}, it is a parent species of the natural hybrid ''Typha'' × ''smirnovii'' {{au|Mavrodiev}}.<ref name = "POWO b">''Typha'' × ''smirnovii'' Mavrodiev. (n.d.). Plants of the World Online. Retrieved January 5, 2026, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/20005629-1</ref>

== Distribution and habitat == [[File:Autumn Cattails at Sunset in East Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.webm|thumb|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.<ref name="GISD">[http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=895&fr=1&sts=&lang=EN "Typha latifolia (aquatic plant)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328032141/http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=895&fr=1&sts=&lang=EN |date=2016-03-28 }}, Global Invasive Species Database. Retrieved 2011-02-21.</ref> 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.<ref>[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=220013917 Flora of North America vol 22 p 282.]</ref><ref name="FEIS">[http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/graminoid/typlat/all.html "Typha latifolia, U.S. Forest Service Fire Effects Information Database"], U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved 2011-02-20</ref> It is an introduced and invasive species, and is considered a noxious weed in Australia and Hawaii.<ref>[http://www.hear.org/species/typha_latifolia/ "Typha latifolia (Typhaceae) Species description or overview"], Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR). Retrieved 2011-02-21.</ref> 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.<ref name="GISD" />

The species has been found in a variety of climates, including tropical, subtropical, southern and northern temperate, humid coastal, and dry continental.<ref name="FEIS" /> It is found at elevations from sea level to {{Convert|2,300|m|ft}}.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}

''T. latifolia'' is an "obligate wetland" species, meaning that it is always found in or near water.<ref name="PLANTS">[https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_tyla.pdf "USDA Plant Guide: Typha latifolia"], United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2011-02-20.</ref> The species generally grows in flooded areas where the water depth does not exceed {{Convert|0.8|m|ft|abbr=on|frac=2}},<ref>[http://extension.usu.edu/rangeplants/htm/broadleaf-cattail/ "Broadleaf Cattail"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202071927/http://extension.usu.edu/rangeplants/htm/broadleaf-cattail/ |date=2016-12-02 }}, Utah State University Cooperative Extension. Retrieved 2011-02-20.</ref> but has also been reported growing in floating mats in slightly deeper water.<ref name="FEIS" /> It grows mostly in fresh water but also occurs in slightly brackish marshes.<ref name="PLANTS" /> 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.<ref name="PLANTS" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ecobeneficial.com/ask_ecobeneficial/can-native-plants-be-invasive/|title=Can Native Plants be Invasive?}}</ref>

''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'').<ref name="FEIS" /> ''T. latifolia'' is usually found in shallower water than ''T. angustifolia''.<ref name=BSBI_Atlas2020_2>{{cite web |title=Lesser Bulrush ''Typha angustifolia'' L. |work=BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020 |editor1=P.A. Stroh |editor2=T. A. Humphrey |editor3=R.J. Burkmar |editor4=O.L. Pescott |editor5=D.B. Roy |editor6=K.J. Walker |publisher=Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland |date=2020 |url=https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.25e |access-date=15 June 2024 }}</ref>

==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.<ref name="Turner">Turner, Nancy J. ''Food Plants of Interior First Peoples'' (Victoria: UBC Press, 1997) {{ISBN|0-7748-0606-0}}</ref><ref name=Audubon/><ref name="Elias-2009">{{Cite book|last1=Elias|first1=Thomas S.|title=Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods|last2=Dykeman|first2=Peter A.|publisher=Sterling|year=2009|isbn=978-1-4027-6715-9|location=New York|page=69|oclc=244766414|orig-date=1982}}</ref> The pollen from the mature cones can be used as a flavouring.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Benoliel|first=Doug|title=Northwest Foraging: The Classic Guide to Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest|publisher=Skipstone|year=2011|isbn=978-1-59485-366-1|edition=Rev. and updated|location=Seattle, WA|page=61|oclc=668195076}}</ref> The starchy rootstalks are ground into meal by Native Americans.<ref name=Audubon>{{cite book |last1=Niering |first1=William A. |author-link1=William Niering| last2=Olmstead |first2=Nancy C. |title=The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers, Eastern Region |year=1985 |orig-date=1979|publisher=Knopf |isbn=0-394-50432-1 |page=810}}</ref>

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.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyXw24XSaqA YouTube - Wild Living with Sunny: episode 4] Video describing collection and cooking of common cattail.</ref>

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|date=June 2024}}

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|date=June 2024}}

==Common names== ''Typha latifolia'' is also sometimes known as great reedmace (mainly historical,<ref>{{cite web |title=Handbook of the British Flora |author1=George Bentham |author2=J. D. Hooker |date=1920 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/17830974 |access-date=15 June 2024 }}</ref> but occasionally still in modern use<ref>{{cite web |title=Great Reedmace |work=Sirhowy Hill Woodlands |url=https://www.sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk/greatreedmace/ |access-date=15 June 2024 }}</ref>), common cattail, cat-o'-nine-tails,{{citation needed|date=June 2024}} cooper's reed,<ref>{{cite web |title=Species profile: ''Typha latifolia'' |url=https://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/species.php?sc=895 |website=Global Invasive Species Database |publisher=IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) |date=2006-04-03 |access-date=24 May 2026}}</ref> cumbungi.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Typha latifolia}} {{Scholia|topic}} * [http://www.rook.org/earl/bwca/nature/aquatics/typhalat.html ROOK description] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614003735/http://www.rook.org/earl/bwca/nature/aquatics/typhalat.html |date=2007-06-14 }} * [http://www.northernbushcraft.com/plants/cattail/notes.htm Edibility of Cattail] – Edible parts and identification * [http://herb.umd.umich.edu/herb/search.pl?searchstring=Typha+latifolia U. of Michigan-Dearborn: Ethnobotany]

latifolia Category:Aquatic plants Category:Flora of Europe Category:Flora of temperate Asia Category:Flora of Africa Category:Flora of Northern America Category:Flora of Southern America Category:Plants used in Native American cuisine Category:Plants used in traditional Native American medicine Category:Plants described in 1753 Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus