cattails

genus Typha

Member of cattail family (family Typhaceae)
grasses, sedges, cattails, and allies (order Poales)
monocots (class Liliopsida)
flowering plants (subphylum Angiospermae)

There are no other wild species of this genus in California.

Cattails typically have two sections of flowers toward the stem. The top section is staminate (male), and the section below is pistillate (female).

broad-leaved cattail
Typha latifolia

broad-leaved cattail
Typha latifolia

naked stem between staminate, pistillate flowers generally 0 cm
widest leaf blades 10–29 mm wide (fresh), 5–20 mm (dry)

narrow-leaved cattail
Typha angustifolia

narrow-leaved cattail
Typha angustifolia

naked stem between staminate, pistillate flowers 1–12 cm
widest leaf blades 4–15 mm wide (fresh), 3–8 mm (dry)
no leaf blade glands
pistillate spike dark brown
pistillate bractlet tip dark brown, generally darker than stigma, blunt

southern cattail
Typha domingensis

southern cattail
Typha domingensis

naked stem between staminate, pistillate flowers 1–8 cm
widest leaf blades 6–18 mm wide (fresh), 5–15 mm (dry)
leaf blade gland-dotted adaxially [inner surface] near base
pistillate spike cinnamon to medium brown
pistillate bractlet tip straw-colored (to light brown), generally paler than stigma, acute to acuminate

2 observed taxons / 1 unobserved taxon / 1 key

Chris’s observations: 6 (2 are research grade)

Locations:

Coyote Hills RP: 5
Monte Bello OSP

Months:

Apr.: 1
May: 0
Jun.: 0
Jul.: 4
Aug.: 0
Sep.: 0
Oct.: 1

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Taxon info: iNaturalist – Calflora – Jepson eFlora – FNA

Bay Area species: iNaturalist – Calflora