Rogoz is often confused with reeds or reeds. Apparently, this happens for the reason that they all grow near water bodies, along their banks or in shallow water. Upon careful examination, it becomes clear that the plants are significantly different from each other even in their appearance.
What is a cattail?
Cattail, cattail - these are the names of the same plant. Today, scientists have 37 species of this perennial. The most common are narrow-leaved, broadleaf, Caspian, Dominican, elephant, small, eastern cattail and others.
To understand the question of what a cattail is, you must first learn to distinguish it from reeds and reeds. This is not at all difficult to do. The long stem of the plant ends with a “plush” ear of black or dark brown color. This is what cattail attracts attention to, while panicles on the stalk of reeds or reeds are of little interest to anyone.
Places of growth
He is an aquatic plant, so it’s easy to guess where the cattail grows. Shallow ponds, coastal shallow waters, and marshy areas are considered his favorite habitat.
The plant feels rather well in polluted waters. It has been established that cattail along with reeds and sedge are excellent natural cleaners. Thickets of these plants are able to neutralize toxic substances in water by 95%.
What does cattail look like?
A strong thick stem of cattail sometimes reaches two meters in height. At the end of the stem there is a dense ear, the length of which is about 30 cm. The seeds ripen in it, after which the ear becomes loose and collapses even with a light touch.
Seeds from the cob fall onto the water, but do not get wet for a long time thanks to the fluffs that make them weightless, and the wind easily carries seeds over considerable distances. After a certain time, cattail seeds still fall to the bottom of the reservoir, where there are all the necessary conditions for their germination.
The structure of the leaf depends on the type of cattail - it can be wide or narrow. Its lower part is in water, as the leaf grows from the rhizome. Leaves have an amazing ability not to lose their firmness and elasticity, even when they are completely dry.
A strong, horizontally located rhizome is divided into two parts. One part of it reaches up and provides the plant with nutrients obtained from water. The other part of the rhizome (thicker) is directed to the bottom of the reservoir. With its help, the stems and leaves of the plant are held.
