Typha angustifolia Linnaeus. Common name: Narrowleaf Cattail. Phenology: May-Jul; Jun-Nov. Habitat: Brackish to fresh waters of marshes and swamps, usually tidal, and also inland in non-tidal wetlands (where probably only introduced). Distribution: NS west to ND, south to SC, FL (?), LA, and TX (?); Eurasia. Stuckey & Salamon (1987) considered T. angustifolia an invasive alien in North America, but later studies suggest that it was native at least in coastal areas of ne. and Mid-Atlantic North America, and has expanded its range westward in recent decades (Shih & Finkelstein 2008). Ciotir et al. (2013) and Ciotir & Freeland (2016) suggested that T. angustifolia in North America is closely related to T. angustifolia in Europe, and its occurrence in North America may be a recent dispersal. For now, we consider inland populations as non-native, and populations in tidal settings along the Atlantic Coast as of uncertain nativity.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Synonymy ⓘ: = AqW, Ar, C, Can, F, FNA22, G, GW1, Il, K4, Mi, Mo1, NE, NY, Pa, RAB, SFla, Tat, Tn, Tx, Va, W, WH3, WV, Ward (2007a); < Typha angustifolia L. — S, S13, (also see T. domingensis); Typha angustifolia L. Basionym: Typha angustifolia L. 1753
Links to other floras: = Typha angustifolia - FNA22
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: OBL
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: OBL
- Great Plains: OBL
- Midwest: OBL
- Northcentral & Northeast: OBL
Heliophily ⓘ: 9
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© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
© Collectors SOS | Original Image ⭷
© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
© Collectors SOS | Original Image ⭷
© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷Feedback
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Horticultural Information
Intro: Emergent aquatic perennial of brackish to fresh waters of marshes and swamps, usually tidal, and also inland in non-tidal wetlands (where it is probably introduced); often forming colonies.
Stems: Stems stout, stiff, unbranched.
Leaves: Leaves mostly basal, alternate and overlapping, with sheathing base and small lobes where sheath meets blade, linear, 1 1/2-5 ft. long and no more than 1/2 in. wide, with the inner surface flat to slightly concave.
Inforescence:
Flowers: Flowers in a cylindridal terminal spike broken into 2 sections, the lower part all female (pistillate) flowers and the upper (separated by a gap) all male (staminate) flowers. The tiny flowers are densely packed, the female ones starting out pale green and becoming dark brown, the male ones yellowish-brown.
Fruits: Fruit numerous minute nutlets with fluffy white tufts.
Comments: The similar T. domingensis is infrequently found in similar habitats. Its leaves mostly lack the lobes at the junction of blade and sheath; the pistillate portion of the spike is light cinnamon-brown at maturity rather than dark brown.
Height: 3-5 ft.
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description: Emergent aquatic perennial of brackish to fresh waters of marshes and swamps, usually tidal, and also inland in non-tidal wetlands (where it is probably introduced); often forming colonies.
stems: Stems stout, stiff, unbranched.
leaves: Leaves mostly basal, alternate and overlapping, with sheathing base and small lobes where sheath meets blade, linear, 1 1/2-5 ft. long and no more than 1/2 in. wide, with the inner surface flat to slightly concave.
inflorescence:
flowers: Flowers in a cylindridal terminal spike broken into 2 sections, the lower part all female (pistillate) flowers and the upper (separated by a gap) all male (staminate) flowers. The tiny flowers are densely packed, the female ones starting out pale green and becoming dark brown, the male ones yellowish-brown.
fruits: Fruit numerous minute nutlets with fluffy white tufts.
comments: The similar T. domingensis is infrequently found in similar habitats. Its leaves mostly lack the lobes at the junction of blade and sheath; the pistillate portion of the spike is light cinnamon-brown at maturity rather than dark brown.
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range: eastern & central North America
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