Cattail
Typha latfolia
When a cattail blooms, you can see
where it gets its name. The fuzzy brown flowers stick straight up
like tails of frightened cats. These are the female flowers. The
tiny male flowers that make pollen are harder to see. They grow
along the spike above the brown cone. About the time that tree pollens
disappear from the air, cattails and grasses release their pollen
into the air. Cattails shed great amounts of pollen, but most people
aren't allergic to it. The pollen once made a good substitute for
flour because it is so starchy. Cattails like to get their feet
wet. They grow in marshes and streams throughout North America.
They are also popular for backyard ponds and indoor flower arrangements.
But look out if you bring cattails into the house, even if you aren't
allergic to the pollen. The flower seeds are attached to bits of
fluff that catch the wind. They burst out of the cone like unruly
tufts of hair. The soft down was once used by Native Americans to
diaper their babies, and small mammals still line their nests with
it.
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