Typha

Typha
Typha latifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Typhaceae
Genus: Typha
L.
Synonyms
  • Massula Dulac
  • Rohrbachia (Kronf. ex Riedl) Mavrodiev
Cattail, narrow leaf shoots
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy106 kJ (25 kcal)
5.14 g
Sugars0.22 g
Dietary fiber4.5 g
0.00 g
1.18 g
Vitamins and minerals
VitaminsQuantity
%DV
Vitamin A equiv.
0%
1 μg
0%
6 μg
Thiamine (B1)
2%
0.023 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
2%
0.025 mg
Niacin (B3)
3%
0.440 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
5%
0.234 mg
Vitamin B6
7%
0.123 mg
Folate (B9)
1%
3 μg
Choline
4%
23.7 mg
Vitamin C
1%
0.7 mg
Vitamin K
19%
22.8 μg
MineralsQuantity
%DV
Calcium
4%
54 mg
Copper
5%
0.041 mg
Iron
5%
0.91 mg
Magnesium
15%
63 mg
Manganese
33%
0.760 mg
Phosphorus
4%
45 mg
Potassium
10%
309 mg
Selenium
1%
0.6 μg
Sodium
5%
109 mg
Zinc
2%
0.24 mg
Other constituentsQuantity
Water92.65 g
Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.

Typha /ˈtfə/ is a genus of about 30 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. These plants have a variety of common names, in British English as bulrush or (mainly historically) reedmace, in American English as cattail, or punks, in Australia as cumbungi or bulrush, in Canada as bulrush or cattail, and in New Zealand as raupō, bullrush, cattail or reed. Other taxa of plants may be known as bulrush, including some sedges in Scirpus and related genera.

The genus is largely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, where it is found in a variety of wetland habitats.

The rhizomes are edible, though at least some species are known to accumulate toxins and so must first undergo treatment before being eaten. Evidence of preserved starch grains on grinding stones suggests they were already eaten in Europe 30,000 years ago.