TYPHACE^— CAT-TAIL FAMILY 



BROAD-LEAVED CAT-TAIL 



T^pha latifdlia 



Typha, Greek, meaning fen or bog. 



A little nearer the shore than the floating lilies one 

 often finds a circle of Cat-tails standing at the edge of 

 pool or lake. Native to North America, Europe, and 

 Asia. The plant is easily recognized before bloom by- 

 its stemless ribbon-like leaves and later by the conspic- 

 uous, dark brown cat-tail spikes of blossoms and later of 

 ripened fruit. 



Rootstalks. — Creeping; roots fibrous, capable of thread- 

 ing soft, marshy ground. 



Stems. — Stout, smooth, erect, terete, three to eight feet 

 high. 



Leaves. — Linear, flat, sword-shaped, striate, sheathing 

 at the base ; half an inch to an inch wide, four to six feet 

 high, usually taller than the flower-stem. 



Flowers. — Monoecious, that is, bearing stamens and 

 pistils on the same plant but in different flowers; densely 

 crowded in dark brown, terminal, cylindrical spikes, three 

 to twelve inches long. 



The Cat-tail lives where the soil is wet, but not 

 under water all the time. When land is drained or 

 when it is continually under water the Cat-tails die 

 out. They are usually found in marshy zones along 

 lakes and streams, with dry land on one side and water 

 on the other. 



