Typha angustifolia - narrow leaf cattail

	DISSEMINATION

Kingdom	Plantae
Sub Kingdom	Tracheobionta (vascular plant)
Superdivision	Spermatophyta (seed plant)
Division	Magnoliophyta (flowering plant)
Class	Liliopsida (monocotyledon)
Order	Typhales
Family	Typhaceae
Genus	*Typha*
Species	*angustifolia*
Classification	L.
Common name	narrow leaf cattail

Geographic Range	it is wide-spread in North America and Eurasia.
Physical Characteristics	herbaceous plant, perennial, rhizomatous, with long, narrow green stalks, surmounted by spikes, the female one bigger and in the lower position, the male one smaller and on the top. This small distance among male and female spikes (1-8 centimeters) allows the distinction among narrow leaves cattail and the broad leaves one. The plant may be 150-300 centimeters high. Basal leaves are narrow with parallel nervations. The leaves are 4-12 millimeters wide. It has less rhizomes but longer than broad leaves cattail. Thus colonization rate is lower but it can live also in deeper water. The reproduction is both vegetative and by seeds.
Notes	it tolerates long submersions, reduced soil conditions, and moderate salinity. In presence of fresh water and nutrients it becomes an invasive plant.
Habitat	it lives in or near the water. It is often found in water deeper than the broad leaves cattail.

Sources
References	Le zone umide della Toscana settentrionale USDA - United States Department of Agricolture
Web References	http://www.zoneumidetoscane.it/ http://plants.usda.gov/
Source of the photo	http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/index.html