Southern Cattail

Typha domingensis

Physical Characteristics

Typha domingensis is a PERENNIAL growing to 3 m (9ft 10in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in saline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers wet soil and can grow in water.

Distribution

Widespread in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions.

Habitats

Pond; Bog Garden;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Flowers Leaves Oil Pollen Root Seed Shoots Stem Edible Uses: Oil Rhizomes - raw or cooked[145 ]. A sweet flavour[105 , 277 ]. Rich in starch, around 30 - 46%, they can be boiled and eaten like potatoes or macerated and then boiled to yield a sweet syrup[172 ]. The rhizome can also be dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereal flours. Rich in protein, this flour is used to make biscuits, bread, cakes etc[183 ]. The rhizomes at the base of erect shoots are mostly horizontal, unbranched, up to 70 cm long and 5 - 40mm in diameter. They are starchy, firm and scaly[270 ]. The root contains a lot of fibre[193 ]. One way to remove this fibre is to peel lengths of the root that are about 20 - 25cm long, place them by a fire for a short while to dry and then twist and loosen the fibres when the starch of the root can be shaken out[193 ]. Young shoots in spring - raw or cooked[193 ]. An asparagus substitute. The inner core is eaten[172 ]. The young shoots are cut from the underground stems in the spring when they are about 10 - 40cm long[277 ]. The base of the mature stem - raw or cooked. It is best to remove the outer part of the stem. The base of the stem where it attaches to the rhizome can be boiled or roasted like potatoes[277 ]. Young flowering stem - raw, cooked or made into a soup. Tastes like sweet corn[172 ]. Seed - cooked. The seed is rather small and fiddly to utilize, but has a pleasant nutty taste when roasted. Edible oil is obtained from the seed[85 ]. The seeds contain about 18 - 20% oil, of which 69% is linolenic acid[270 ]. Due to the small size of the seed, this is probably not a very worthwhile crop. Pollen - raw or cooked. A protein-rich additive to flour used in making bread, porridge etc[105 , 183 ]. It can also be eaten with the young flowers, which makes it considerably easier to utilize. The pollen is a bright yellow or green colour, and turns pancakes, cookies or biscuits a pretty yellow colour[277 ]. The pollen can be harvested by placing the flowering stem over a wide but shallow container and then gently tapping the stem and brushing the pollen off with a fine brush[9 ]. This will help to pollinate the plant and thereby ensure that both pollen and seeds can be harvested[K ].

Medicinal Uses

Astringent Diuretic Haemostatic Miscellany Vulnerary The leaves are diuretic[218]. The pollen is astringent, desiccant, diuretic, haemostatic and vulnerary[176, 218]. It is used in the treatment of nose bleeds, haematemesis, haematuria, uterine bleeding, dysmenorrhoea, postpartum abdominal pain and gastralgia, scrofula and abscesses[176]. It is contraindicated for pregnant women[176]. The seed down is haemostatic[218]. The rootstock is astringent and diuretic[240].

Known Hazards

None known