broad-leaved cattail

LC - Least Concern

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

not listed

OBL - Obligate wetland

OBL - Obligate wetland

OBL - Obligate wetland

Broad-leaved cattail is a 3″ to 9″ tall, erect, perennial forb that rises on a single stem or cluster of stems from a thick, mostly horizontal, unbranched rhizome. It grows in muddy soil, often with its roots underwater.

The stems are erect, stiff, unbranched, light green, hairless, and round in cross section. They are ⅜″ to ¾″ thick in the middle, ⅛″ to ¼″ thick near the inflorescence.

The leaves are mostly basal, alternate, bluish-green to grayish-green, linear, and flat on the back. They are ⅜″ to 1⅛″ wide, though usually no more than ⅞″ wide, usually slightly longer than the flowering spike. They sheath the stem at the base and taper to a sharp point at the tip. They have parallel veins but do not have a prominent midrib. When fresh they are usually covered with a whitish, waxy bloom (glaucous).

The inflorescence is a dense spike of minute staminate (male) and pistillate (female) flowers at the end of the stem.

The staminate-flowered portion of the spike is above and usually contiguous with, not separated by a length of naked stem from, the pistillate-flowered portion. When in flower it is ⅜″ to ¾″ thick and about as long as the pistillate portion. The male flowers are straw-colored to colorless.

The pistillate-flowered portion of the spike is 2″ to 10″ long and 3 ⁄16″ to 5 ⁄16″ thick when in flower. When in fruit it is brown and 1″ to 1¼″ thick. The female flowers are light green at first, drying brown.

The fruit is a thin-walled achene with hairs attached.

3′ to 9′

Green, drying brown

Narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia) has narrower, green leaves that are up to ½″ wide, convex on the underside, and extend well above the flowering spike. The staminate spike of the flowering stalk is separated from the pistillate spike ½″ to 4¾″. When in fruit, the pistillate spike is no more than ⅞″thick.

Hybrid cattail (Typha × glauca) occurs in places where both broad-leaved cattail and narrow-leaved cattail are present. It is a hybrid with characteristics that are intermediate between the two parent species.

Wet to damp. Marshes, ditches, shallows. Full sun.

May to July

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 28, 29, 30.

Native

Common and widespread

Plant

Inflorescence

Female Spike

Infructescence