Large cattail

Typha latifolia, called ‘large cattail’ in English, is a water plant that is mainly found in eutrophic and acid water, along the shores of ponds, ditches and in swamps. This perennial has an upward and wide-spread growth habit. It is easy proliferating through rhizomes. If planted in a garden pond, locking it in a good pond basket is the message. The leaves are broad, linear and blue-green colored. Large cattail blooms from June to September with double cigar-shaped ears. The male ears are at the top, the female right below. After wind fertilization, the characteristic brown colored ‘cigars' form the female flowers. The seeds of cattail develop from the flowers on the cigars. The seed fluff is normally transported by the wind. The plant is hardy, endures sea breeze, air pollution and has a beautiful winter silhouette.

 

The fluorescence photograph taken from a longitudinal section of the leaf, highlight certain parts of the leaf, such as the reinforcement spirals of the transport vessels, the cell walls and nutrients stored in the cells.

With thanks to KAGM http://www.microscopie.be for the prepared slide, colored with astra blue and acridine red dye.