Cattails

Cattail (Typha latifolia)

2007 July 16

2007 July 31

2007 August 15

2008 April 23

I suppose we all know what a cattail looks like ... but hey, I needed an excuse to take a picture or two!

Some plants have any number of uses and this is one of them. Marsh critters, of course, munch on these but people can too (the starchy rhizomes, leaf blades, young flower spikes and the white, peeled, lower stem)! The birds use the seed fluff for nests; people can use it for pillow and mattress stuffing. The leaves can also be woven into mats and even clothing ... but one may need to take a few lessons first.

I know, these are supposed to be Cariboo plants, but I found this interesting Cattail in Vancouver and couldn't resist showing it:

2007 July 2

This is a "Lesser Cattail" (Typha angustifolia). It is not all that common. (I couldn't find it in my books so checked the genus "Typha" at E-Flora and voila.)