Family: Typhaceae
broad-leaved cat-tail, common cat-tail
Dennis W. Woodland
Dennis W. Woodland
University of Wisconsin - Madison (WIS-VP)
Etymology: Typha: the Greek name for this plant thought to mean "bog"
Plants: erect, perennial, emergent semi-aquatic, 3'-9' tall with many smooth stems; clone-forming from spreading rhizomes
Leaves: bluish-green to grayish-green, up to 1" wide, nearly flat, overlapping each other at the base
Flowers: brown, 3-parted; inflorescence a 12" spike with male (top) and female (bottom) flowers; blooms May-July
Fruits: hundreds of seeds packed tightly into a brown, cylindrical spike with no bare gap between the male and female flowers
Habitat: sun; wet to damp; ditches, marshes, shallows; in muddy soil
Conservation Status: Native - potentially invasive
Plants: erect, perennial, emergent semi-aquatic, 3'-9' tall with many smooth stems; clone-forming from spreading rhizomes
Leaves: bluish-green to grayish-green, up to 1" wide, nearly flat, overlapping each other at the base
Flowers: brown, 3-parted; inflorescence a 12" spike with male (top) and female (bottom) flowers; blooms May-July
Fruits: hundreds of seeds packed tightly into a brown, cylindrical spike with no bare gap between the male and female flowers
Habitat: sun; wet to damp; ditches, marshes, shallows; in muddy soil
Conservation Status: Native - potentially invasive
Flora of North America: Flora of North America Floristic Rating: Coefficient of Conservatism = 1, Wetland Indicator = OBL WIS DNR-Bureau of Endangered Resources: Detailed information on Wisconsin invasive species including decription, habitats, control methods USDA Plants Database: Federal Distribution and detailed information including photos USGS - Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Wetland Plants and Plant Communities of Minnesota and Wisconsin University of Wisconsin - Green Bay: Selected Wetland Plants: Photos, descriptions, information David G. Smith's "Delaware Wilflowers": Beautiful photographs; descriptions Southwest School of Botanical Medicine: Britton & Brown Illustrated Flora - 2nd Edition (1913) "An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada"
Dennis W. Woodland
Dennis W. Woodland
Matthew L. Wagner
Botanical Illustration
Derek Anderson
