The root of the cattail is used to clear heat and promote diuresis. What are the characteristics of the cattail root and what are its requirements for the growth environment!
Origin of the Cattail Root
The cattail root is the root of the plant Typha angustifolia in the family Cyperaceae. It is harvested in autumn and dried.
Morphology of the Cattail Root
It is a perennial herb, 30-120 centimeters tall. It has fibrous adventitious roots and a short rhizome. The stem is tufted and triangular in shape;
The leaves are reduced to two leaf sheaths, located at the base of the stem, membranous, brown, and obliquely truncate at the apex.
The spikelets are ovoid and elongated, 8-15 millimeters long and 4-6 millimeters wide, with 3-20 sessile spikelets, forming a solitary, lateral, and single-headed inflorescence. The bracts of the spikelet are triangular, an extension of the stem, 2-10 centimeters long;
The scales are ovoid, pale brown, about 4 millimeters long, with short tips, ridges, and overlapping arrangement like tiles, with the lower 1-2 empty, and the others with one perfect bisexual flower, the uppermost one atrophied, and 6 backward-pointing bristles below;
There are 3 stamens; the stigma is 3-lobed. The achene is ovoid or flattened triangular, black and shiny when mature. It flowers from July to August.
Habitat and Distribution of the Cattail Root
It grows in swamps, riverbanks, streamsides, and field edges. It is distributed in Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and other places.
