Welcome to Catnapin's
Aquatic Plant Gallery
Rush and Sedge
Typhaceae - Cattail family
Cattail Typha sp.
Plant grows in shallow water and stands 6 feet tall. New shoots grow from rhizomes. Seed spike is 6"-12" tall, with the male flowers at the top of the stem and the female flowers below (the thick part). The male flowers wither quickly to form the bare spike at top. When ripe the spike explodes in tiny downy fluff angels that carry the seed on the wind. All parts of the plant are edible. The seed down is useful for fire tender and birds uses it in nests. Called Bulrush by the English.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, June 2005
(Native of Texas)
Hunting Similar Species
Common Cattail (Broadleaf Cattail) Typha latifolia
Leaves 3/4" wide and 3-10 feet tall. The flower spike has a lower fuzzy female portion and a narrow upper male portion of equal length with no separation between the two.
Narrow-leaved Cattail Typha angustifolia
Flat leaves 1/4"-1/2" wide and 3-6 feet tall. The flower spike has a lower 2"-6" long fuzzy female portion and a narrow upper male portion of equal length with clear separation between the two. Likes deeper water than Common Cattail.
Southern Cattail Typha domingensis
_small.jpg)
_small.jpg)
Cyperaceae - Sedge family
Sand Spikerush (Giant Hairgrass) Eleocharis montevidensis (Heleocharis montevidensis)
Plant grows in sand near a small natural spring. Round reed is 6"-12" tall but can grow to 30" tall. Spikelet is 5/16" tall with yellowish flowers. Grows from rhizomes so becomes dormant in drought. Can be planted with up to 2" over the crown but prefers marsh. Quickly makes rhizome runners. Flower head oval. Likes full sun.
Check - Flat tipped leaf purplish turning straw-colored.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, May & June 2005
(Native of Texas)
Similar Species
Annual Spikerush (Caribbean Spikerush, Pantropic Spikerush) Eleocharis geniculata
Grows in clumps, 16" tall. No leaf blades, just pointed sheaths. Ovoid spikelet, 3/16" tall and nearly as wide.
(found in Taylor Co. & Tom Green Co.)
Similar Species - Giant
Common Spikerush (Creeping Spikerush) Eleocharis palustris (Eleocharis macrostachya)
Can grow to 4 feet tall with spikes 2"-8" long. Fixes nitrogen. Colonizes by rhizomes. Shade tolerant.
(found in Taylor, Coleman, Brown, Tom Green)
Similar Species - Flat Stems
Flatstem Spikerush Eleocharis compressa
(found in Taylor Co. & Callahan Co.)
? Spikerush Eleocharis compressa var. acutisquamata (Eleocharis acutisquamata)
Stem is flat, 3"-18" tall. Small flower head on top.
(found in Brown Co.)
Similar Species - tiny
Needle Spikerush Eleocharis acicularis
Similar to E. reverchonii. 4" tall. Leaves are needle-like and square-tipped with reddish basal sheaths.
(found in Taylor Co.)
Hairgrass (Dwarf Spikerush, Small Spikerush) Eleocharis parvula
4" tall. Looks like grass with small heads. Prefers clay soil.
(found in Taylor Co. & Brown Co.)
Beaked Spikerush Eleocharis reverchonii
Similar to E. acicularis . 4" tall. Leaves have membranous sheaths at the base of the stems.
(found in Taylor Co.)
_small.jpg)
Cyperaceae - Sedge family
? Common Name **za 4** Scientific Name
Plant grows in shallow water. Reed is about 12" tall. Shape of reed cross section? Several pinecone-like spiklets grow from the top. A single bract is horizontal to the reed.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, June 2005
(Native of ?)
Similar Species
Cyperaceae - Sedge family
? Common Name **za 3** Scientific Name
Plant grew near the edge of Lake Coleman. It was dry. Round reed is about 12" tall. Three fluffy spiklets grow from the top, about 3/8" wide. A single bract continues the shape of the reed, about 2" long.
Photos taken in Coleman County, Texas, September 2005
(Native of ?)
Hunting Similar Species
similar American Bulrush (Three Square, Swordgrass) Scirpus pungens (Schoenoplectus pungens)
(west Panhandle)
Three-square is a bulrush sedge. stems sharply triangular, to 3 ft. tall; leaf blades very few, to 8 in. long, strongly folded; inflorescence a cluster of 1-5 brown spikelets, at stem tip (but looks like on the side of the stem); bract as in other species: appears as a continuation of the stem above the inflorescence, to 5 in. long; spikelets cone-shaped, brown, to 3/4 in. long, scales spiral and overlapping, scales attach in a small V notch; nutlet with 4 sharp bristles
similar but not Western Umbrella Sedge Fuirena simplex
Leaves up stem
(found in Taylor, Callahan, Coleman, Brown Co.)
similar Vahl's Fimbry Fimbristylis vahlii
(Edwards Plateau)
to reduce spam, change "at" to @
please be specific
