narrow-leaved cattail

LC - Least Concern

NNR - Unranked

SNR - Unranked

not listed

Though narrow-leaved cattail is a native to Minnesota, some people consider it an invasive species. They argue that where it is introduced it soon crowds out other native species, often creating a monoculture. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture does not consider this an invasive species.

OBL - Obligate wetland

OBL - Obligate wetland

OBL - Obligate wetland

Narrow-leaved cattail is a 3″ to 9″ tall, erect, perennial forb that rises on a single stem or cluster of stems from a thick, mostly horizontal, unbranched rhizome. It grows in muddy soil, often with its roots underwater.

The stems are erect, stiff, unbranched, light green, hairless, and round in cross section. They are 3 ⁄16″ to ½″ thick in the middle, 1 ⁄16″ to ⅛″ thick near the inflorescence.

The leaves are mostly basal, alternate, green, and linear. They are slightly concave on the upper side, convex on the underside. They are ⅛″ to ½″ wide, usually rising well above the flowering spike. They sheath the stem at the base and taper to a sharp point at the tip. They have parallel veins but do not have a prominent midrib. When fresh they are not glaucous.

The inflorescence is a dense spike of minute staminate (male) and pistillate (female) flowers at the end of the stem.

The staminate-flowered portion of the spike is above and separated by a ½″ to 4¾″ long length of naked stem from the pistillate-flowered portion. When in flower it is ⅜″ thick and about as long as the pistillate portion. The male flowers are straw-colored to medium brown.

The pistillate-flowered portion of the spike is 2⅜″ to 8″ long and 3 ⁄16″ to ¼″ thick when in flower. When in fruit it is brown and ½″ to ⅞″ thick. The female flowers are dark brown at first, drying medium brown.

The fruit is a thin-walled achene with hairs attached.

3′ to 9′

Brown

Broad-leaved cattail (Typha latifolia) has broader, green to grayish-blue leaves that are up to 1″ wide, flat, and extend only slightly above the flowering spike. The staminate spike of the flowering stalk is contiguous with, not separated from, the pistillate spike. When in fruit, the pistillate spike is 1″ to 1¼″ thick.

Hybrid cattail (Typha × glauca) occurs in places where both broad-leaved cattail and narrow-leaved cattail are present. It is a hybrid with characteristics that are intermediate between the two parent species.

Moist to wet. Marshes, ditches. Full sun.

June to July

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 28, 29, 30.

Native

Common

Plant

Inflorescence

Male Spike

Female Spike