TYPHAL. - CAT-TAIL
Scientific Description:
Aquatic or semi-terrestrial perennial monoecious herbs of waterside habitats with creeping rhizomes. Stems erect, corm-like at base. Leaves mostly basal, distichous, erect, with sheath closely enveloping stem; lamina linear, with a layer of air-filled cavities. Flowers condensed in two superposed, contiguous to distant, cylindrical spike-like partial inflorescences, the upper male, the lower female. Male flowers consisting of stamens in clusters of 1−3(−8); axis with simple or forked hair-like scales or naked; anthers with swollen connecive; pollen grains single or in tetrads. Female flowers on branched stalks, with or without hair-like scales, each flower consisting of a pistil persistent with a gynophore and hairs surrounding base of gynophore; sterile flowers (pistillodes) present. Ovary uni-ovulate, superior; style filiform, persistent, stigma linear or dilated and spathulate, longer than hairs. Fruit small, fusiform, indehiscent or longitudinally dehiscent, with a membranous pericarp.
Reference:
Baytop A (1984). Typha L., In: Davis PH (ed.), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 8: 558–559.
Public Description:
Typha, commonly known as “cat-tail”, is consists of plants that are widely distributed in the wetlands of the Northern Hemisphere. There are approximately 38 species in the world and 7 species (7 taxa) in Türkiye. They are aquatic or semi-terrestrial herbaceous perennial plants of waterside habitats with creeping rhizomes. The leaves of the plants are used in in weaving chair bottoms and mats. Its leaves can also be used as a source of good quality cellulose to produce paper. From the floral part of the plants, fiber is obtained in excellent quality for use in the textile industry. The starch-rich rhizomes are edible, highly nutritious and abundant pollen is used in the pharmaceutical industry. However, plants growing in polluted water can accumulate lead and pesticide residues in their rhizomes, and these should not be eaten. Typha are used as thermal insulation in buildings as an organic alternative to conventional insulating materials such as glass wool or stone wool. The high content of bioenergetics compounds (starch and cellulosic content) in these plants can enable to utilize them in biofuel (bioethanol) production.
References:
Anonymous 1 (2016) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typha/,Accessed date: 24.11.2016.
Anonymous 2 (2016) http://www.theplantlist.org/1.1/browse/A/Typhaceae/Typha//,Accessed date: 24.11.2016.
Ekim T (2012) Typha L., In: Güner, A., Aslan, S., Ekim, T., Vural, M. & Babaç, M.T. (eds.), Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi (Damarlı Bitkiler). Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanik Bahçesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Derneği Yayını. İstanbul, pp. 879–880.
.JPG)
.JPG)