Some Common Plants of Upper Newport Bay

Broadleaf Cattail  (Typha latifolia)
Plant: Perennial herb that have erect, nonbranched stems 3 to 7 1/2 feet tall.  Found at the edge of fresh water ponds and in marshes.  It has large air filled cells that provide oxygen to submerged portions of the plant. 
Flowers: Tiny, numerous, that form a spike. The dark-reddish brown, 6 to 10 inches long, cattail is actually composed of thousands of flowers, with the male and female flowers being separate with no gap between the two. 
Leaf: Narrow with parallel veins, 3/8 to 5/8 inches wide, 12 to 16 per plant.
Flowering period:   June to July
Use by Indians: Floor mats and roofing thatch were made from the leaves and basketry, dried flower heads as pampers, young shoots were eaten raw, root was dried & ground into meal.
Can be found here: Big Canyon, Indian Springs, Back Bay Drive
Native Plant: Yes Halophyte: No
Family Name: Cat-tail
Click on Picture for enlarged version
Similar Species: Narrowleaf Cattail
Date: 11/16/2003