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Typha angustifolia L.

Family Name:	Typhaceae
Common Name:	Narrow-leaf Cat Tail, Soft Flag, Lesser Bulrush, Narrow-leaf Reedmace, Nail-rod, Banat, 水烛, 蒲黄, 狭叶香蒲

Full Sun

Lots of Water

Bird-Attracting Plant

Fruit or Vegetable

Herb or Spice

Ornamental Flowers

Aquatic

Herbaceous Plant

Typha angustifolia - female inflorescences

Typha angustifolia - female inflorescences of plants in pond

Typha angustifolia - male (top) & female (bottom) inflorescences of plant in ditch

Typha angustifolia - male (top) & female (bottom) inflorescences

Typha angustifolia - female inflorescence spike of plant in pond

Typha angustifolia - male inflorescence spike of plant in ditch

Typha angustifolia - male inflorescence spike of plant in pond

Typha angustifolia - male & female inflorescences, seeds

Typha angustifolia - fluffy wind-dispersed seeds

Typha angustifolia - wind-dispersed seeds of plant in pond

Typha angustifolia - colony of plants in wasteland ditch

Typha angustifolia - female inflorescence

Name

Family Name
Genus Epithet
Species Epithet
Name Authority
Name Status (botanical)
Common Names
Comments

Classifications and Characteristics

Plant Division	Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Monocotyledon)
Plant Growth Form	Aquatic & Hydrophyte (Emergent, Waterside / Marginal), Herbaceous Plant
Lifespan (in Singapore)	Perennial

Mode of Nutrition	Autotrophic
Maximum Height	1.5 m to 3 m

Biogeography

Native Distribution	Northern Africa, Europe, Middle & Western Temperate Asia, China, North America (naturalised)
Native Habitat	Terrestrial (Riverine)
Preferred Climate Zone	Temperate

Description and Ethnobotany

Others - Plant Morphology	Distribution:A perennial herbaceous marsh plant with an underground creeping rhizome, T. angustifolia can be found throughout the northern hemisphere, including Singapore and Malaysia, both wild and cultivated. It is thought that the plant may have been introduced to North America. T. angustifolia can be found occurring together with T. latifolia, (commonly known as the Broadleaf Cat Tail), both species sometimes hybridising as Typha × glauca, commonly called the Hybrid Cat Tail or White Cat Tail.Leaves:Its thick narrow sword-shaped leaves grow in tufts of eight to ten, standing erect above the water at 1-3 m in length. Flowers:Flowering stems stand at 1.5-2 m tall, bearing cylindrical terminal spike inflorescences that are 25-50 cm long. Inflorescences are monoecious, each consist of an upper male part that is brownish in colour and a lower female part is dark brown in colour. Fruits:Fruits are about 5-8 mm long, with bristly white hairs arising from the middle, which aid in the dispersal of the fruits by wind. Upon contact with water, the fruit wall opens, releasing seeds into the water. Etymology:The genus name, ”Typha”, may be derived either from the Greek typhos (τύφος), which refers to the marsh habitat, or from typhe (τυφε) meaning “cat’s tail”, which the plant’s inflorescences resemble. The specific epithet, “angustifolia”, is derived from the Latin “angustus”, meaning narrow, and “folius” meaning leaf, which when put together describe the shape of the plant’s leaves.Uses:Several parts of the plant are edible when gathered at the right stage. One of these is the rhizomatous stem, known as bồn bồn in Vietnam, which is fairly high in starch content and processed into flour. The base of the stem, where it is attached to the rhizome may be boiled or roasted like potatoes. Bases of the leaves can be eaten raw when young and tender, and also cooked. Flower stalks may be harvested and eaten like corn cobs. Bright yellow or green in colour, the pollen from mature flowers may be used as a thickener or used in place of flour to make pancakes and cookies which take on the same bright colour.In addition, roots have been known to be boiled and used to treat skin conditions and as a diuretic. Other non-edible uses include the use of the mature inflorescences as tinder and lining and stuffing for cloths and pillows and the stem as candle wick. However, the use of the plant as lining and stuffing material has been known to cause skin reactions in people. In addition, some develop skin irritation and asthma, triggered by the presence of Typha fruits in the air.It has also been found that the plant is able to remove toxic elements from water and is used in tertiary water treatment as a phytoremediation plant. However, the plant also has the potential to become an invasive species.Wildlife:Although too small and hairy to be attractive to birdlife as food, some duck species are known to eat the seeds. Stems and roots are eaten by animals including, geese and muskrats while young tender shoots are eaten by moose and elk. The tufts of leaves extending above the water also provide shelter for water birds.
Ethnobotanical Uses	Edible Plant Parts : Edible Fruits, Edible Leaves, Edible Flowers, Edible Stems, Edible Seeds Food (Fruit & Vegetable) (Herb and Spice)

Others - Plant Morphology

Distribution:A perennial herbaceous marsh plant with an underground creeping rhizome, T. angustifolia can be found throughout the northern hemisphere, including Singapore and Malaysia, both wild and cultivated. It is thought that the plant may have been introduced to North America. T. angustifolia can be found occurring together with T. latifolia, (commonly known as the Broadleaf Cat Tail), both species sometimes hybridising as Typha × glauca, commonly called the Hybrid Cat Tail or White Cat Tail.Leaves:Its thick narrow sword-shaped leaves grow in tufts of eight to ten, standing erect above the water at 1-3 m in length. Flowers:Flowering stems stand at 1.5-2 m tall, bearing cylindrical terminal spike inflorescences that are 25-50 cm long. Inflorescences are monoecious, each consist of an upper male part that is brownish in colour and a lower female part is dark brown in colour. Fruits:Fruits are about 5-8 mm long, with bristly white hairs arising from the middle, which aid in the dispersal of the fruits by wind. Upon contact with water, the fruit wall opens, releasing seeds into the water. Etymology:The genus name, ”Typha”, may be derived either from the Greek typhos (τύφος), which refers to the marsh habitat, or from typhe (τυφε) meaning “cat’s tail”, which the plant’s inflorescences resemble. The specific epithet, “angustifolia”, is derived from the Latin “angustus”, meaning narrow, and “folius” meaning leaf, which when put together describe the shape of the plant’s leaves.Uses:Several parts of the plant are edible when gathered at the right stage. One of these is the rhizomatous stem, known as bồn bồn in Vietnam, which is fairly high in starch content and processed into flour. The base of the stem, where it is attached to the rhizome may be boiled or roasted like potatoes. Bases of the leaves can be eaten raw when young and tender, and also cooked. Flower stalks may be harvested and eaten like corn cobs. Bright yellow or green in colour, the pollen from mature flowers may be used as a thickener or used in place of flour to make pancakes and cookies which take on the same bright colour.In addition, roots have been known to be boiled and used to treat skin conditions and as a diuretic. Other non-edible uses include the use of the mature inflorescences as tinder and lining and stuffing for cloths and pillows and the stem as candle wick. However, the use of the plant as lining and stuffing material has been known to cause skin reactions in people. In addition, some develop skin irritation and asthma, triggered by the presence of Typha fruits in the air.It has also been found that the plant is able to remove toxic elements from water and is used in tertiary water treatment as a phytoremediation plant. However, the plant also has the potential to become an invasive species.Wildlife:Although too small and hairy to be attractive to birdlife as food, some duck species are known to eat the seeds. Stems and roots are eaten by animals including, geese and muskrats while young tender shoots are eaten by moose and elk. The tufts of leaves extending above the water also provide shelter for water birds.

Ethnobotanical Uses

Edible Plant Parts : Edible Fruits, Edible Leaves, Edible Flowers, Edible Stems, Edible Seeds
Food (Fruit & Vegetable) (Herb and Spice)

Landscaping Features

Desirable Plant Features	Ornamental Flowers, Ornamental Fruits, Ornamental Seeds
Landscape Uses	Riverine, Phytoremediation (Ground / Water Contaminant(s))
Thematic Landscaping	Water Garden, Naturalistic Garden

Usage Hazard - Cons	Invasive / Potentially Invasive, Irritant - Nasal Allergy
Plant & Rootzone Preference or Tolerance Remarks	pH 3.7 - 8.5

Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal

Fauna Pollination Dispersal Associated Fauna	Bird Attracting
Pollination Method(s)	Abiotic (Wind)
Seed or Spore Dispersal	Abiotic

Plant Care and Propagation

Light Preference	Full Sun
Water Preference	Lots of Water
Plant Growth Rate	Fast

Rootzone Tolerance	Fertile Loamy Soils, Waterlogged Soils (Drains Site), Acidic (low pH) Soils, Alkaline high pH Soils
Maintenance Requirements	Moderate
Propagation Method	Seed, Storage Organ, Division

Foliar

Foliage Retention	Evergreen
Mature Foliage Colour(s)	Green
Mature Foliage Texture(s)	Smooth, Thick

Foliar Type	Simple / Unifoliate
Foliar Shape(s)	Non-Palm Foliage (Lanceolate)
Foliar Venation	Parallel
Foliar Margin	Entire

Non - Foliar and Storage

Stem Type & Modification	Acaulescent
Root Type	Underground (Fibrous Root)
Specialised Storage Organ(s)	Underground (Rhizome)

Floral (Angiosperm)

Flower & Plant Sexuality	Unisexual Flowers , Monoecious
Flower Colour(s)	Brown, Green

Flower Size - Remarks	Staminate (male) spikes separated from pistillate (female) spike by 1.2 -12.5 cm of naked axis, ca. as long as pistillate, 1 cm thick in anthesis.
Inflorescence Type	Spike
Flowering Period	Free-Flowering
Flowering Habit	Polycarpic

Fruit, Seed and Spore

Mature Fruit Colour(s)	Brown
Fruit Classification	Simple Fruit
Fruit Type	Indehiscent Dry Fruit , Nut / Nutlet

Image Repository

Images

Others

Master ID	1243
Species ID	2536
Flora Disclaimer	The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.

Species record last updated on: 23 February 2022.