Rogoz is a plant familiar to many, as it grows everywhere where there are water bodies. It is often called reed, and even confused with reed and sedge, although they all differ in appearance. They differ in their useful properties.
To understand the difference between them, in particular, between reeds and cattail, we consider each plant separately.
Reed and sedge
The reed plant, resembling thin long rods, resembles sedge. It grows with bushes, and its flowers are nondescript tassels on thin stalks-blades of grass. Few people pay attention to these inconspicuous plants growing on the shores of water bodies and almost no one thinks that this is reed.
There is another plant from the sedge family, similar to cattail and reeds. This sedge is quite easily distinguishable from cereals and includes more than 4000 species. Its stem, similar to straws of cereals, is hollow inside and has a trihedral shape. It should also be noted that cane and sedge have useful properties, like cattail.
Description of narrow-leaved cattail
Rogoz (or Turk) is a coastal-aquatic plant, which is the only genus of plants belonging to the Rogozov family. In the wild, it grows along the marshy coasts of lakes, rivers, elders, ponds, reservoirs and canals, as well as in swamps.
From the creeping thick rhizome, 2 types of roots grow: for feeding in the water thin, for fixing and nutrition in the ground - thick. Rather thick stalks of cattail grow up to 3-6 meters in height. The broadly linear leaves directed upwards have a length of up to 4 meters.
During flowering (June-July), cylindrical velvet cobs of inflorescences painted in dark brown appear on long peduncles of the plant. Female flowers are located on the lower part of the cob, and male flowers are located on the top. Pollination of the plant occurs with the help of wind. In autumn, small fruits ripened with a volatility of hairs floating after shedding on the water surface for about a month, and subsequently falling to the bottom of the reservoir. With the onset of spring, they germinate.
Places of growth
Quite widely spread cattail narrow-leaved around the world. There are about two dozen species of this plant. Only four varieties grow on the territory of Russia.
This plant grows in all the temperate and tropical zones of the globe. It mainly grows in shallow waters, along the coastal parts of water bodies, on solonetzic and rich soils.
Differences from other plants
Reed, cattail and reeds are often confused, but they have differences.
The most common lake reeds and many other varieties of this plant are usually bare, with no leaves. And cattail is easy to distinguish by the dark “plush” ears, for which he was nicknamed “cat tail” by the Americans, and “priestly hoods” (hats) and “damn sticks” by Russians.
The use of narrow-leaved cattail
- The fluff of this plant is used for stuffing pillows, life jackets (raw materials have high buoyancy), and hats and shoes are also made from it.
- Rogoz, like reed and sedge, is an excellent cleaner for water bodies. According to studies, wastewater passing through the thickets of this plant is 95% freed from toxic substances.
- Using this plant, you can easily make a fire. Dry seed heads are great as a tinder for flint, even in winter conditions.
- The narrow-leaved cattail is also good as a building material, with the help of which it is possible not only to build certain structures, but also to improve comfort in terms of survival. For example, filling homemade mattresses, blankets, pillows.
- Rough packaging fabrics can be made from leaf fibers, and cellulose as heat-insulating material from perianth bristles.
- Female stalks are used for making canes.
Food use
The narrow-leaved cattail can be eaten. A young plant uses leaves located at the base of the stem. This part differs in color due to youth and the fact that it does not participate in the process of photosynthesis. Such leaflets taste very tender and are somewhat similar to cucumber.
Edible in cattail and well-developed roots. For raw food, it is better to take white large roots (red - old). They are also suitable for roasting on coals (similar to potatoes). Grinding the roots and frying them on the fire, you can make a coffee drink. Even flour can be made from them for baking bread!
