Plant 6 to 9 ft. tall. Leaves light yellowish-green, 1/4 to 1/2 in. wide, 6 to 9 per plant, equaling or slightly exceeding height of female (pistillate) spikes; upper leaf proximal 4 in. orange-brown gland-dotted.  Bommer Canyon Nature Loop, Irvine, CA. 6-25-11. © Joan Avise


Southern Cattail

Typha domingensis

Native US to South America, in temperate and tropical regions worldwide; freshwater to brackish marshes (UNB), wet disturbed places at the edges of ponds, year round streams.  Flowering June-July. Uses

Back to Typhaceae of Orange County, California
Back to Monocots of Orange County, California
Back to Natural History of Orange County, California


Male and female parts separated by 3/4 in.of naked stem, about the diameter of the pistillate spike. Staminate spike narrower but same length as the pistillate spike; Male above, female spike below. Santiago Oaks Regional Park. Orange, CA. 7-3-11. © Joan Avise

Male above, female spike below. Santiago Oaks Regional Park. Orange, CA. 7-3-11. © Joan Avise

Male flowers with yellowish-brown strap-like scales (bracts), tips widened, irregularly dissected, golden-yellow single-celled pollen grains. Mature pistillate spike  6-10 in., light cinnamon or medium brown becoming buffy or grayish; pistillate bractlets acute, tips straw-colored to light brown. Male flower spike in bloom. Santiago Oaks Regional Park. Orange, CA. 7-3-11. © Joan Avise

Female flower spike in bloom Santiago Oaks Regional Park. Orange, CA. 7-3-11. © Joan Avise

Male spike above, female below. Santiago Oaks Regional Park. Orange, CA. 7-3-11. © Joan Avise

Stigma may be white in flower, medium to yellow-brown in fruit; sterile ovary visible at spike surface; pistil hair tips straw colored with large orange-brown spot.  Female spike. Santiago Oaks Regional Park. Orange, CA. 7-3-11. © Joan Avise

Bommer Canyon Nature Loop, Irvine, CA. 6-25-11. © Joan Avise

Ladd Cyn, 12-9-10. © Ron Vanderhoff.


Ladd Cyn, 12-9-10. © Ron Vanderhoff.