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Typha minima - Hoppe.

Common Name
Family Typhaceae
USDA hardiness 5-9
Known Hazards None known
Habitats In shallow water of ponds and rivers in northern China[266].
Range Europe to eastern Asia.
Edibility Rating    (2 of 5)
Other Uses    (0 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (3 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Wet Soil Water Plants Full sun
Typha minima


Typha minima

 

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Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Typha minima is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.1 m (0ft 4in).
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6. It is in flower from May to August, and the seeds ripen from June to September. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers wet soil and can grow in water.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Habitats

 Pond; Bog Garden;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Oil  Pollen  Root  Seed
Edible Uses: Oil

The following notes are for other members of this genus, but they probably also apply to this species:- Roots - raw or cooked. They can be boiled and eaten like potatoes or macerated and then boiled to yield a sweet syrup. The roots can also be dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereal flours. Rich in protein, this flour is used to make biscuits, bread, cakes etc. Seed - cooked. The seed is rather small and fiddly to utilize, but has a pleasant nutty taste when roasted. An edible oil is obtained from the seed. Due to the small size of the seed this is probably not a very worthwhile crop[K]. Pollen - raw or cooked. A protein rich additive to flour used in making bread, porridge etc. It can also be eaten with the young flowers, which makes it considerably easier to utilize. The pollen can be harvested by placing the flowering stem over a wide but shallow container and then gently tapping the stem and brushing the pollen off with a fine brush[9]. This will help to pollinate the plant and thereby ensure that both pollen and seeds can be harvested[K].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Anticoagulant  Diuretic  Emmenagogue  Haemostatic

The pollen is diuretic, emmenagogue, haemostatic[176]. The dried pollen is said to be anticoagulant, but when roasted with charcoal it becomes haemostatic[238]. It is used internally in the treatment of kidney stones, haemorrhage, painful menstruation, abnormal uterine bleeding, post-partum pains, abscesses and cancer of the lymphatic system[222, 238]. It should not be prescribed for pregnant women[238]. Externally, it is used in the treatment of tapeworms, diarrhoea and injuries[238].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Oil

None known

Special Uses

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Grows in boggy pond margins or shallow water. Requires a rich soil if it is to do well. Succeeds in sun or part shade.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

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Propagation

Seed - surface sow in a pot and stand it in 3cm of water. Pot up the young seedlings as soon as possible and, as the plants develop, increase the depth of water. Plant out in summer. Division in spring. Very easy, harvest the young shoots when they are about 10 - 30cm tall, making sure there is at least some root attached, and plant them out into their permanent positions.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Plant Search

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Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

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Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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Expert comment

Author

Hoppe.

Botanical References

200266

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

James Allison   Mon Mar 31 11:51:27 2003

You mention that it grows to 0.1m, but the Typha minima sold in the UK regularly reaches 0.3 to 0.5m high Thanks for the useful site, now bookmarked!

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