This perennial inhabits the waterfront of various water bodies, ditches and bogs. Its strong long rootstalks issue upward cylindrical stems 100-200 cm tall, with long broad linear leaves and spadices. The pistillate spadix is black or dark brown, adjacent to the staminate.
The cattail flowers in July. By the fall, the fruits encapsulated in fluff ripen. Then the spadix shreds and the fruits get carried away by wind. The cattail is often mistakenly called bulrush.
It is widespread and common in water bodies, bogs and ditches.
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