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Montana Field Guides

Narrow-leaved Cattail - Typha angustifolia

Likely Native Species

Global Rank: G5
State Rank: SU
C-value: 3


Agency Status
USFWS:
USFS:
BLM:


 

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General Description
Stems 80–150 cm. Leaves 3 to 12 mm wide. Inflorescence: male spike 8–12 cm × 8–10 mm; separated from the female spike 7–15 cm × 6–9 mm. Flowers: stigma linear, brown; pollen grains shed separately (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Diagnostic Characteristics
Typha angustifolia may be difficult to separate from the tall cattail (Typha domingensis), which is usually taller and has flattened and more numerous leaves (Apfelbaum 1985). Hybrids of intermediate appearance have been reported, and are often referred to as the species Typha x glauca.

Typha angustifolia can be distinguished from broad-leaved cattail by the relative width of the leaf and the position of the staminate and pistillate portions of the spadix (heads). Typha latifolia has 6-23 mm wide leaves that are flat, sheathing, and pale grayish-green in color. In contrast, T. angustifolia has 3-8 mm wide leaves that are full green and somewhat convex on back (Agricultural Rea. Service 1971). In T. latifolia the staminate and pistillate heads are contiguous or nearly so, whereas in T. angustifolia the heads are separated by approximately 3 cm.

Range Comments
Typha angustifolia is widely distributed in the eastern and northern United States.

Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 33

(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version) Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density

Recency

 

(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)



Habitat
Shallow water of marshes, ponds, lakes, often where saline; plains, valleys (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Stewardship Responsibility

References
  • Literature Cited AboveLegend:   View Online Publication
    • Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 771 p.
  • Additional ReferencesLegend:   View Online Publication
    Do you know of a citation we're missing?
    • Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2022. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants, Second Edition. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 779 p.
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Citation for data on this website:
Narrow-leaved Cattail — Typha angustifolia.  Montana Field Guide.  .  Retrieved on , from