TypHa Insects: THEIR ECOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS 465 
may always be found. On account of its nearness to the laboratory, 
this was found to be a convenient place to make some of the observations. 
Occasional cat-tail plants are also found in Bool’s Back Water and in 
Cascadilla Creek, two places which were likewise chosen for study because 
their close proximity to the laboratory made daily observations possible. 
THE SPECIES OF TYPHA 
According to Britton and Brown (1913) there are about ten species 
of Typha in the temperate and tropical regions of the world. In the 
United States there are at least two species represented, Typha latifolia 
L. (type species) and T. angustifolia L. Dudley (1886) lists 7. latifolia 
L., var. elongata, n. var., as a variety occurring in New York. Hedescribes 
it as follows: ‘‘ Leaves very numerous, dark green, elongated (2-34m.) 
and fruiting spike elongated, often 30 cm.” 
Typha latifolia has broad leaves. The staminate and pistillate parts 
of the flower spike are contiguous. The stigmas are spatulate or 
rhomboid. Pollen grains occur in fours. Pistillate flowers are without 
bractlets. 
Typha angustifolia has narrower leaves than Typha latifolia. The 
staminate and pistillate flowers of the flower spike are usually separated 
by a short interval. The stigmas are linear or oblong-linear. Pollen 
occurs in simple grains. ~ The pistillate flowers have bracts. 
Typha is known by the following common names: cat-tail, great reed 
mace, cat-o’=nine-tail, cat-tail flag, cat-tail rush, flax tail, blackamoor, 
blackeap, bullsegg, bulrush, watertorch, and candlewick. The names 
“marsh beetle’ and “‘ marsh hog” have also been applied to the Typha 
plant. 
“THE DISTRIBUTION OF TYPHA 
Cat-tails are common in the temperate and tropical regions of America, 
South America, Europe, and Asia. Wherever favorable soil conditions 
occur, cat-tails will be found growing; even a spring on the hillside or 
the outlet of a drain pipe will sometimes support a few of the plants. 
Large patches of them grow in the Rocky Mountains, at an altitude of 
7500-8500 feet. Typha latifolia, the commonest of all the species, occurs 
throughout the United States in any favorable location. Typha latifolia 
grows abundantly throughout North America, except in the extreme 
