Typha glauca
a perennial member of the Typha genus in the family Typhaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Roots - raw or cooked. Rich in starch, they can be boiled and eaten like potatoes or macerated and then boiled to yield a sweet syrup[2]. The root can also be dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereal flours. Rich in protein, this flour is used to make biscuits, bread, cakes etc. Young shoots in spring - raw or cooked. An asparagus substitute. They are peeled before being eaten[2] Base of mature stem - raw or cooked. It is best to remove the outer part of the stem. Young flowering stem - raw, cooked or made into a soup. Tastes like sweet corn[2]. Seed - cooked. The seed is rather small and fiddly to utilize, but has a pleasant nutty taste when roasted. An edible oil is obtained from the seed. Due to the small size of the seed this is probably not a very worthwhile crop. Pollen - raw or cooked[2]. A protein rich additive to flour used in making bread, porridge etc[3]. It can also be eaten with the young flowers, which makes it considerably easier to utilize. The pollen can be harvested by placing the flowering stem over a wide but shallow container and then gently tapping the stem and brushing the pollen off with a fine brush[6]. This will help to pollinate the plant and thereby ensure that both pollen and seeds can be harvested[K].
- Plant part
- Flowers
- Plant part
- Leaves
- Product or use
- Oil
- Plant part
- Pollen
- Plant part
- Root
- Plant part
- Seed
- Plant part
- Stem
Material uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The stems and leaves have many uses, they make a good thatch, can be used in making paper, can be woven into mats, chairs, hats etc. They are a good source of biomass, making an excellent addition to the compost heap or used as a source of fuel etc. The hairs of the fruits are used for stuffing pillows etc. They have good insulating and buoyancy properties. The pollen is highly inflammable and is used in making fireworks. This plants extensive root system makes it very good for stabilizing wet banks of rivers, lakes etc.
- Product or use
- Biomass
- Product or use
- Insulation
- Product or use
- Paper
- Product or use
- Stuffing
- Product or use
- Thatching
- Product or use
- Weaving
Ecology and functions
Environment
- Range
- Eastern N. America.
- Habitat
- Shallow water[5].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- aquatic
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - surface sow in a pot and stand it in 3cm of water. Pot up the young seedlings as soon as possible and, as the plants develop, increase the depth of water. Plant out in summer. Division in spring. Very easy, harvest the young shoots when they are about 10 - 30cm tall, making sure there is at least some root attached, and plant them out into their permanent positions.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Grows in boggy pond margins or shallow water to 15cm deep[1][4]. Requires a rich wet soil if it is to well[4]. Succeeds in sun or part shade[4]. Plants can be very invasive, spreading freely at the roots when in a suitable site[4].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00
Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-600-37216-2