Typha
Bulrush
Bulrush
Wikipedia links: Angiosperms > ...
Other links:
Overview:
Typha /ˈtaɪfə/ is a genus of about 30 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae
These plants have a variety of common names, in British English as bulrush or (mainly historically) reedmace, in American English as cattail, or punks, in Australia as cumbungi or bulrush, in Canada as bulrush or cattail, and in New Zealand as reed, cattail, bulrush or raupo
Other taxa of plants may be known as bulrush, including some sedges in Scirpus and related genera
The genus is largely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, where it is found in a variety of wetland habitats
The rhizomes are edible, though at least some species are known to accumulate toxins and so must first undergo treatment before being eaten
Evidence of preserved starch grains on grinding stones suggests they were already eaten in Europe 30,000 years ago
Common name: Bulrush
Conservation status: . . .
Etymology:
Flowers:
The plants are monoecious, with unisexual flowers that develop in dense racemes
The numerous male flowers form a narrow spike at the top of the vertical stem
Each male (staminate) flower is reduced to a pair of stamens and hairs, and withers once the pollen is shed
Large numbers of tiny female flowers form a dense, sausage-shaped spike on the stem below the male spike. In larger species this can be up to 30 cm long and 1 to 4 cm thick
Fruit:
The seeds are minute, 0.2 mm long, and attached to fine hairs
When ripe, the heads disintegrate into a cottony fluff from which the seeds disperse by wind
Fruits of Typha have been found as long ago as 69 mya in modern Central Europe
Leaves:
Glabrous (hairless), linear, alternate and mostly basal on a simple, jointless stem that bears the flowering spikes
Stem & branches:
Roots:
Habit:
Typha are aquatic or semi-aquatic, rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial plants
Habitat:
Distribution:
Additional notes:
General ecology
Typhas pictured in the coat of arms of Kälviä, a former municipality located on the shores of the Gulf of Bothnia
Typha are often among the first wetland plants to colonise areas of newly exposed wet mud, with their abundant wind-dispersed seeds
Buried seeds can survive in the soil for long periods of time
They germinate best with sunlight and fluctuating temperatures, which is typical of many wetland plants that regenerate on mud flats
The plants also spread by rhizomes, forming large, interconnected stands
Typha are considered to be dominant competitors in wetlands in many areas, and they often exclude other plants with their dense canopy
In the bays of the Great Lakes, for example, they are among the most abundant wetland plants
Different species of cattails are adapted to different water depths
Well-developed aerenchyma make the plants tolerant of submersion. Even the dead stalks are capable of transmitting oxygen to the rooting zone
Although Typha are native wetland plants, they can be aggressive in their competition with other native species
They have been problematic in many regions in North America, from the Great Lakes to the Everglades
Native sedges are displaced and wet meadows shrink, likely as a response to altered hydrology of the wetlands and increased nutrient levels
An introduced or hybrid species may be contributing to the problem
Control is difficult
The most successful strategy appears to be mowing or burning to remove the aerenchymous stalks, followed by prolonged flooding
It may be more important to prevent invasion by preserving water level fluctuations, including periods of drought, and to maintain infertile conditions
Typha are frequently eaten by wetland mammals such as muskrats, which also use them to construct feeding platforms and dens, thereby also providing nesting and resting places for waterfowl
The following species and hybrids are currently accepted:
Typha albida – (Afghanistan)
Typha alekseevii – (Caucasus)
Typha angustifolia – lesser bulrush, narrow leaf cattail (America), or jambu (India)
Typha × argoviensis – (Germany and Switzerland)
Typha austro-orientalis – (European Russia)
Typha azerbaijanensis – (Iran)
Typha × bavarica – (Germany)
Typha capensis – (tropical and southern Africa)
Typha caspica – (Azerbaijan)
Typha changbaiensis – (northeastern China)
Typha davidiana – (China)
Typha domingensis – bulrush, southern cattail (America), narrow-leaved cumbungi (Australia)
Typha elephantina – (from Algeria to southern China)
Typha × gezei – (France)
Typha × glauca (T. angustifolia × T. latifolia) – hybrid cattail, white cattail (a sterile hybrid)
Typha grossheimii – (Central Asia)
Typha incana – (central Russia)
Typha joannis – (Mongolia, Amur Oblast)
Typha kalatensis – (Iran)
Typha latifolia – bulrush, common cattail – (very widespread)
Typha laxmannii – Laxman's bulrush – (southern Europe and much of Asia)
Typha lugdunensis – (western Europe, southwest Asia, China)
Typha minima – dwarf bulrush – (Europe, Asia)
Typha orientalis – (East Asia), raupō[22] (New Zealand), broad-leaved cumbungi (Australia)
Typha pallida – (Central Asia, China)
Typha × provincialis – (France)
Typha przewalskii – (China, Russian Far East)
Typha shuttleworthii – (Europe, Iran, Turkey)
Typha sistanica – (Iran)
Typha × smirnovii – (European Russia)
Typha subulata – (Argentina, Uruguay)
Typha × suwensis – (Japan)
Typha tichomirovii – (European Russia)
Typha turcomanica – (Turkmenistan)
Typha tzvelevii – (Primorye)
Typha valentinii – (Azerbaijan)
Typha varsobica – (Tajikistan)
The most widespread species is Typha latifolia, which is distributed across the entire temperate northern hemisphere. It has also been introduced to Australia. T. angustifolia is nearly as widespread, but does not extend as far north; it may be introduced and invasive in North America. T. domingensis has a more southern American distribution, and it occurs in Australia. T. orientalis is widespread in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. T. laxmannii, T. minima, and T. shuttleworthii are largely restricted to Asia and southern Europe.
Uses
Culinary
Many parts of the Typha plant are edible to humans. Before the plant flowers, the tender inside of the shoots can be squeezed out and eaten raw or cooked
The starchy rhizomes are nutritious with a protein content comparable to that of maize or rice
They can be processed into a flour with 266 kcal per 100 grams, and are most often harvested from late autumn to early spring
They are fibrous, and the starch must be scraped or sucked from the tough fibers.[26] Baby shoots emerging from the rhizomes, which are sometimes subterranean, can be picked and eaten raw
Also underground is a carbohydrate lump which can be peeled and eaten raw or cooked like a potato
The plant is one championed by survival experts because various parts can be eaten throughout the year
Plants growing in polluted water can accumulate lead and pesticide residues in their rhizomes, and these should not be eaten
The rind of young stems can be peeled off, and the tender white heart inside can be eaten raw or boiled and eaten like asparagus
This food has been popular among the Cossacks in Russia, and has been called "Cossack asparagus"
The leaf bases can be eaten raw or cooked, especially in late spring when they are young and tender
In early summer the sheath can be removed from the developing green flower spike, which can then be boiled and eaten like corn on the cob
In mid-summer when the male flowers are mature, the pollen can be collected and used as a flour supplement or thickener
Agriculture
The seeds have a high linoleic acid content and can be used to feed cattle and chickens
They can also be found in African countries like Ghana
Harvesting cattail removes nutrients from the wetland that would otherwise return via the decomposition of decaying plant matter
Floating mats of cattails remove nutrients from eutrophied bodies of freshwater
Building material
For local native tribes around Lake Titicaca in Peru and Bolivia, Typha were among the most important plants and every part of the plant had multiple uses
For example, they were used to construct rafts and other boats
During World War II, the United States Navy used the down of Typha as a substitute for kapok in life vests and aviation jackets
Tests showed that even after 100 hours of submersion, the buoyancy was still effective
Typha are used as thermal insulation in buildings as an organic alternative to conventional insulating materials such as glass wool or stone wool
Paper
Typha stems and leaves can be used to make paper
It is strong with a heavy texture and it is hard to bleach, so it is not suitable for industrial production of graphical paper
In 1853, considerable amounts of cattail paper were produced in New York, due to a shortage of raw materials
In 1948, French scientists tested methods for annual harvesting of the leaves
Because of the high cost, these methods were abandoned and no further research was done
Today Typha is used to make decorative paper
Fiber
Fibers up to 4 mlong can be obtained from the stems when they are treated mechanically or chemically with sodium hydroxide
The stem fibers resemble jute and can be used to produce raw textiles
The leaf fibers can be used as an alternative to cotton and linen in clothing
The yield of leaf fiber is 30 to 40 percent and Typha glauca can produce 7 to 10 tons per hectare annually
Biofuel
Typha can be used as a source of starch to produce ethanol
Because of their high productivity in northern latitudes, Typha are considered to be a bioenergy crop
Other
The seed hairs were used by some indigenous peoples of the Americas as tinder for starting fires
Some tribes also used Typha down to line moccasins, and for bedding, diapers, baby powder, and cradleboards
One Native American word for Typha meant "fruit for papoose's bed".[citation needed] Typha down is still used in some areas to stuff clothing items and pillows
Typha can be dipped in wax or fat and then lit as a candle, the stem serving as a wick
Without the use of wax or fat it will smolder slowly, somewhat like incense, and may repel insects
The flower stalks can be made into chopsticks
The leaves can be treated to weave into baskets, mats, or sandals
The rushes are harvested and the leaves often dried for later use in chair seats. Re-wetted, the leaves are twisted and wrapped around the chair rungs to form a densely woven seat that is then stuffed (usually with the left over rush)
Small-scale experiments have indicated that Typha are able to remove arsenic from drinking water
The boiled rootstocks have been used as a diuretic for increasing urination, or mashed to make a jelly-like paste for sores, boils, wounds, burns, scabs, and smallpox pustules
Cattail pollen is used as a banker source of food for predatory insects and mites (such as Amblyseius swirskii) in greenhouses
The cattail, or, as it is commonly referred to in the American Midwest, the sausage tail, has been the subject of multiple artist renditions, gaining popularity in the mid-twentieth century
The term, sausage tail, derives from the similarity that cattails have with sausages, a name given to the plant by the Midwest Polish community who had noticed a striking similarity between the plant and a common Polish dish, kiełbasa
Sources of information:
(2023)