Cattails or Bulrush

Habitat:

Wetlands

Notes:

This photo was taken on the bank of Old Hickory Lake. Uses include the following: "Typha has a wide variety of parts that are edible to humans. The rhizomes, underground lateral stems, are a nutritious and energy-rich food source that when processed into flour contains 266 kcal per 100 g.[2] They are generally harvested from late autumn to early spring. These are starchy, but also fibrous, so the starch must be scraped or sucked from the tough fibers. The bases of the leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, in late spring when they are young and tender. In early summer the sheath can be removed from the developing green flower spike which can then be boiled and eaten like corn on the cob.[10] In mid-summer, once the male flowers are mature, the pollen can be collected and used as a flour supplement or thickener.[11] Starch grains have been found on grinding stones widely across Europe from 30,000 BC suggesting that Typha plants were a widely used Upper Paleolithic food.[2] [edit]Other uses Typha seeds are very small, embedded in down parachutes, and very effectively wind-dispersed Typha (蒲 gama?) with & without seeds. Seeds used for Futon (布団 or 蒲団 futon?) before cotton The disintegrating heads are used by some birds to line their nests. The downy material was also used by some Native American tribes as tinder for starting fires. Some Native American tribes also used Typha down to line moccasins, and for bedding, diapers, baby powder, and papoose boards. One Native American word for Typha meant "fruit for papoose's bed". Some people still use Typha down to stuff clothing items and pillows. Typha can be dipped in wax or fat and then lit as a candle, the stem serving as a wick. It can also be lit without the use of wax or fat, and it will smolder slowly, somewhat like incense, and may repel insects." (wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typha)