Typha latifolia

Typha is a New Latin word derived from the Ancient Greek τύφη (túphē, “cattail”), and latifolia comes from the Latin lātifolius, meaning broad-leaved. The cattail has long been used by various American Indian groups as a medicine, food source, artisan material, and ritualistic item. Cultures such as the Klamath and Modoc used the plant for weaving baskets, mats and other similar goods. The Cahuilia used it for matting as well as ceremonial bundles. It also was found to make a good material for torches and rafts. English settlers noted that native homes sided with cattail leaves were exceptionally weatherproof. The plant has been extremely useful in a variety of other ways all throughout its history, but some more interesting and recently developed uses include fashioning it into hunting decoys, stuffing it into life vests in World War II, and using it as a more efficient and sustainable source of ethanol. In places such as sub-Saharan Africa, where it was introduced fairly recently, it is considered highly invasive.