Typha latifolia

Taxonomy and growth

Family

Typhaceae

Genus

Typha

Life cycle

perennial

Height

2.5 m

Spread

3 m

Fertility

Wind

Flower type

monoecious

Pollinators

Wind

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Roots - raw or cooked^[9][4]. They can be boiled and eaten like potatoes or macerated and then boiled to yield a sweet syrup. The roots can also be dried and ground into a powder, this powder is rich in protein and can be mixed with wheat flour and then used for making bread, biscuits, muffins etc^{[17][19][23][7]}. One hectare of this plant can produce 8 tonnes of flour from the rootstock^[20]. The plant is best harvested from late autumn to early spring since it is richest in starch at this time^[21]. The root contains about 80% carbohydrate (30 - 46% starch) and 6 - 8% protein^[20]. Young shoots in spring - raw or cooked^{[4][17][19][22][2][7]}. An asparagus substitute. They taste like cucumber^[11]. The shoots can still be used when they are up to 50cm long^[20]. Base of mature stem - raw or cooked^[9][21][17]. It is best to remove the outer part of the stem^[19][7]. It is called 'Cossack asparagus'^[7]. Immature flowering spike - raw, cooked or made into a soup^[19][20][22]. It tastes like sweet corn^[7]. Seed - raw or cooked^[9][16]. The seed is rather small and fiddly to utilize, but has a pleasant nutty taste when roasted^[4]. The seed can be ground into a flour and used in making cakes etc^[16]. An edible oil is obtained from the seed^[17][20]. Due to the small size of the seed this is probably not a very worthwhile crop[K]. Pollen - raw or cooked. The pollen can be used as a protein rich additive to flour when making bread, porridge etc^{[4][17][19][22][2]}. It can also be eaten with the young flowers^[20], 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^[21]. This will help to pollinate the plant and thereby ensure that both pollen and seeds can be harvested[K].

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves are diuretic^[12]. The leaves have been mixed with oil and used as a poultice on sores^[16]. The pollen is astringent, diuretic, emmenagogue, haemostatic, refrigerant, sedative, suppurative and vulnerary^[12]. The dried pollen is said to be anticoagulant, but when roasted with charcoal it becomes haemostatic^[14]. It is used internally in the treatment of kidney stones, haemorrhage, painful menstruation, abnormal uterine bleeding, post-partum pains, abscesses and cancer of the lymphatic system^[13][14]. It should not be prescribed for pregnant women^[14]. Externally, it is used in the treatment of tapeworms, diarrhoea and injuries^[14]. A decoction of the stems has been used in the treatment of whooping cough^[16]. The roots are diuretic, galactogogue, refrigerant and tonic^[12]. The roots are pounded into a jelly-like consistency and applied as a poultice to wounds, cuts, boils, sores, carbuncles, inflammations, burns and scalds^[13][16]. The flowers are used in the treatment of a wide range of ailments including abdominal pain, amenorrhoea, cystitis, dysuria, metrorrhagia and vaginitis^[12]. The young flower heads are eaten as a treatment for diarrhoea^[13]. The seed down has been used as a dressing on burns and scalds^[16].

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The stems and leaves have many uses. Gathered in the autumn they make a good thatch, can be used in making paper, can be woven into mats, chairs, hats etc^[22][24][16]. They are a good source of biomass, making an excellent addition to the compost heap or used as a source of fuel etc. The pulp of the plant can be converted into rayon^[13]. The stems can be used to make rush lights. The outer stem is removed except for a small strip about 10mm wide which acts as a spine to keep the stem erect. The stem is then soaked in oil and can be lit and used like a candle^[17]. The female flowers make an excellent tinder and can be lit from the spark of a flint^[11]. A fibre is obtained from the blossom stem and flowers^[17][18][24]. A fibre obtained from the leaves can be used for making paper^[8] The leaves are harvested in summer, autumn or winter and are soaked in water for 24 hours prior to cooking. The fibres are cooked for 2 hours with soda ash and then beaten in a ball mill for 1½ hours. They make a green or brown paper^[8]. The hairs of the fruits are used for stuffing pillows etc^[16]. They have good insulating and buoyancy properties and have also been used as a wound dressing and a lining for babies nappies^[24]. The flowering stems can be dried and used for insulation, they also have good buoyancy properties^[17][6]. The pollen is highly inflammable, it is used in making fireworks etc^[3].

Environment

Range

Throughout the world from the Arctic to latitude 30° S, incl Britain but absent from Africa, S. Asia

Habitat

Shallow water up to 15cm deep in ponds, lakes, ditches, slow-flowing streams etc, succeeding in acid or alkaline conditions^[21][5].

Light

full sun

Shade tolerance

no shade

Water

aquatic

Hardiness

Zone 3+

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.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A very easily grown plant, succeeding in the boggy margins of ponds or in shallow water up to 15cm deep^[5]. It succeeds in acid and calcareous soils and requires a less organic-rich soil than T. angustifolia in order to do well^[5]. It succeeds in sun or part shade^[10]. A very invasive plant spreading freely at the roots when in a suitable site, it is not suitable for growing in small areas^[15]. Unless restrained by some means, such as a large bottomless container, the plant will soon completely take over a site and will grow into the pond, gradually filling it in. This species will often form an almost complete monoculture in boggy soil. Provides excellent cover for wild fowl^[1].

Related plants

• Typha angustifoliaSmall Reed Mace
• Typha bungeana
• Typha davidiana
• Typha domingensisSouthern Cattail

References

1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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2. Kavasch. B. Native Harvests. Vintage Books 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-394-72811-4

   ↩1↩2

3. Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.

   ↩

4. Loewenfeld. C. and Back. P. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles ISBN 0-7153-7971-2

   ↩1↩2↩3↩4

5. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

   ↩1↩2↩3

6. Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00

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7. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

   ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

8. Bell. L. A. Plant Fibres for Papermaking. Liliaceae Press 1988-00-00

   ↩1↩2

9. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

   ↩1↩2↩3

10. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩

11. Craighead. J., Craighead. F. and Davis. R. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers The Riverside Press 1963-00-00 ISBN 63-7093

    ↩1↩2

12. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

13. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

14. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

15. Baines. C. Making a Wildlife Garden.

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16. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

17. Harris. B. C. Eat the Weeds. Pivot Health 1973-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

18. Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.

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19. Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

20. Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967-00-00 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

21. Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-600-37216-2

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

22. Sweet. M. Common Edible and Useful Plants of the West. Naturegraph Co. 1962-00-00 ISBN 0-911010-54-8

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

23. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

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24. Turner. N. J. Plants in British Columbian Indian Technology. British Columbia Provincial Museum 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-7718-8117-7

    ↩1↩2↩3