Hybrid cat-tail (Typha xglauca)

Common Names: Hybrid cat-tail

Description: Hybrid cross between Narrowleaf cattail (Typha angustifolia) and Broadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia).

Habit: Aquatic; emergent perennial; 1.5-3 m (5-10 ft) tall.

Leaves: Variable width and height, usually 1 m (3 ft) long and 0.6-1.25 cm (0.25-0.5 in) wide.

Stems: 2-3 m tall, stout in form.

Flowers: Dense terminal spike, female flowers dark brown and located below the lighter male flowers, separated by a 2-10 cm (1.74-4 in) gap.

Fruit and seeds: Tiny, sterile, dry follicle borne on a slender stalk having many long white hairs.

Habitat: Found in marshes, lakes, streams, and ditches; tolerates silt, road salt and nutrients.

Reproduction: By seed, also vegetatively by rhizomes.

Similar species: Narrowleaf cattail (Typha angustifolia); Broadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia).

Monitoring and rapid response: Managing water levels; introduction of saltwater; cutting, crushing, shearing and disking; prescribed burning; use of the herbicide glyphosate.

Credits: The information provided in this factsheet was gathered from the Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Vplants.org.

Individual species images that appear with a number in a black box are courtesy of the Bugwood.org network (http://www.invasive.org).Individual photo author credits may not be included due to the small display size of the images and subsequent difficulty of reading the provided text. All other images appear courtesy of Google (http://images.google.com).

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