What are Cattails?
What are Cattails?
Written by Lou Paun
Wisegeek.com
Cattails are wetland plants in the genus Typha. There are eleven species in this genus, mostly native to the northern hemisphere. Typha latifolia is the most widely dispersed kind of cattail in North America. The stiff, brush-like, cylindrical flower spikes have reminded many people of a cat's tail, hence the common name. In British English, they are commonly called reedmace or bullrush, and in American English they are sometimes known as corndog grass or punks.
These wetland plants are spread by rhizomes positioned just below the surface of wet, muddy ground. Often the ground is covered with a few inches of water. Cattails are often the first plants to colonize muddy soil. When they colonize a new area, they are a very important part of converting underwater soil to marshland, which may eventually become dry land. Cattails also spread by seed, which can be widely dispersed, especially by birds.
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