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Species
Typha latifolia L.
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
Common Cattail is a common plant that occurs in every county of Illinois (see Distribution Map). In addition to North America, it is also native to Eurasia. Habitats include marshes, swamps, seeps, borders of rivers and ponds, and ditches. In marshes and other wetlands, this is often one of the dominant plants. Common Cattail can survive in badly degraded habitats, although it also occurs in natural habitats that are less disturbed. Faunal Associations
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright © 2002-2014 by Dr. John Hilty |
Source | http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/wetland/plants/cattail.htm |
Fresh to slightly brackish water or wet soil; 0--2300m.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | eFloras.org Copyright © Missouri Botanical Garden |
Source | http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=220013917 |
More info on this topic.
More info for the terms: geophyte, helophyte
RAUNKIAER [177] LIFE FORM:
Geophyte
Helophyte
Comments: Cattail management may be desired in situations where cattails have responded to wetland disturbance by growing in dense monocultures. The genus Typha can behave like aggressive introduced weeds in a variety of natural communities throughout North America (Apfelbaum 1985). Cattails are considered serious weeds in some countries (Holm et al. 1979, Morton 1975) but not necessarily in North America.
In high-quality natural communities, cattails usually occur as scattered sterile plants (Apfelbaum 1985). With disruptions to a community, cattail populations may respond by spreading vegetatively at a rapid rate. The effect of the growth spurt is closing open water, eliminating habitat and species diversity, and reducing the opportunity for other plants to become established and survive. Shading is a significant effect on other plants. Cattails are successful because they form extensive monocultures very rapidly through vegetative reproduction and maintain their dominance with the formation of dense rhizomes mats and litter.
Cattails have a wide ecological amplitude compared to other species (Pianka 1973). They are tolerant to habitat changes, pollutants in the water system, and saline or basic substrates. A study in Indiana concluded that the three basic events precede the growth of cattails monocultures: 1. modified surface hydrology, 2. wildfire suppression, and 3. wetland enrichment (Wilcox et al. 1984). Claims that hybrid cattails are responsible for monoculture growths have not been confirmed.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Typha+latifolia |
Canada
Origin: Native
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident
United States
Origin: Native
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Typha+latifolia |
Depth range based on 8 specimens in 1 taxon.
Environmental ranges
Depth range (m): 1 - 1
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.
License | http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Ocean Biogeographic Information System |
Source | http://www.iobis.org/mapper/?taxon_id=789635 |
More info for the term: graminoid
Graminoid
Not threatened at present.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
Source | http://www.arkive.org/bulrush/typha-latifolia/ |
More info for the term: cover
Broadleaf cattail is a cosmopolitan species found in North America, Mexico, Great Britain, Eurasia, India, Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. In Canada, broadleaf cattail occurs in all provinces and the Northwest Territories [76]. In the United States, broadleaf cattail is native to all states except Hawaii, where it is introduced [212]. It also occurs in Puerto Rico; nativity to Puerto Rico is unknown [107]. Flora of North America provides a distributional map of broadleaf cattail.
Cattail hybrids are often identifiable by their distribution. Distributions of all 3 hybridizing cattail species overlap in only the east-central US coast and central California. Broadleaf cattail and southern cattail cooccur in a broad area of the southwestern United States and the extreme southern United States. Broadleaf cattail and narrow-leaved cattail distribution overlaps are more common and cover a broad area of the central and eastern United States and Canada. Cattail distribution maps are provided by Smith [194].
Grows on mud or in shallow water at the margins of lakes, ditches, ponds and canals, and less commonly beside streams and rivers. It shows a preference for sites that are rich in nutrients (3).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
Source | http://www.arkive.org/bulrush/typha-latifolia/ |