Typha domingensis

Pers. (1807)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Poales Family: Typhaceae Genus: Typha

cattail

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Plants coarse and stout, glabrous perennial herbs of wet or swampy habitats, with extensive starchy creeping rhizomes, often forming large dense colonies.

Stems: Stems erect, 2.5–4 m long, unbranched, terminating in an inflorescence.

Roots: Fibrous root system.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate, distichous and erect. Blades linear, nearly all basal, blades flattened, usually spongy in texture, with longitudinal partitions connecting the upper and lower surfaces, and numerous cross partitions connecting the longitudinal ones; leaves 6–9(–12) per vegetative stem, pale yellowish green, flat but moderately concave on lower surface, 6–12(–15) mm wide. Surfaces glabrous. Margins entire. Veins parallel. Sheaths usually opened at the throat with scarious margins tapering to the blade. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers numerous in dense, cylindrical, complex spikes, staminate spikes above pistillate ones, the spikes contiguous or separated, most of the flowers axillary to short bristle-like bracts. Flowers unisexual; Staminate and pistillate spikes separated by an interval (0.5–)2–6 cm long; staminate spikes whitish brown, with linear scales, these usually laciniate at apex, stamens on branched filaments, pollen golden yellow, in monads; pistillate spikes pale brown, 15–25 cm long, 1.5–2.5 cm in diameter, each flower with fragile, translucent, obovate scales exceeding the gynophore hairs. Calyx (sepals) absent. Corolla (petals) absent. Stamens 1–3 in staminate flowers, absent in pistillate flowers.

Fruit: Fruit small; dry; tardily dehiscent; wind–dispersed; ellipsoid; 0.8–1.1 mm long. Seeds with a slender; cylindrical embryo surrounded by copious mealy endosperm and thin perisperm.

Ploidy: 2n = 30

Habitat: Marshes.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Synonyms (47)

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

O'ahu Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Syn. Pl. 2: 532 (1807)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1614 (O)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Scientific Name Authorship Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Typha domingensis Pers. ....inui marsh, below quarry rd ca halfway between pali hwy and mokapu blvd. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN l. b. smith illeg. Maui F 7/30/1976
2 Typha domingensis Pers. below quarry rd ca 1/2 way between pali hwy and mokapu blvd. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN l. b. smith 149 Oahu US 7/30/1976
3 Typha domingensis Pers. Below Quarry Rd ca 1/2 way between Pali Hwy and Mokapu Blvd. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Smith, L. B. 149 Oahu US 7/30/1976
4 Typha domingensis Pers. honolulu; near ala moana In marsh. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN neal, m.c. collector number: s.n. Oahu BISH 12/2/1939
5 Typha domingensis Pers. honolulu; kapiolani blvd. near kgmb radio station In fresh swamp in clumps. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN mita, d. collector number: s.n. Oahu BISH 1/29/1942
6 Typha domingensis Pers. ....inui Marsh, below Quarry Rd ca halfway between Pali Hwy and Mokapu Blvd. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Smith, L. B. 149 Oahu US 7/30/1976
7 Typha domingensis Pers. Honolulu; Kapiolani Blvd. near KGMB Radio Station In fresh swamp in clumps. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Mita, D. s.n. Oahu BISH 1/29/1942
8 Typha domingensis Pers. Honolulu; Near Ala Moana In marsh. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Neal, M.C. s.n. Oahu BISH 12/2/1939