Cattail, a species of the genus Typha within the Typhaceae family, is a perennial aquatic or marsh herb with a milky rhizome. The above-ground stem is robust, gradually becoming slenderer upwards, with linear leaves and sheaths embracing the stem. The male and female flower spikes are closely connected, and the fruiting capsules have elongated brown spots. The seeds are brown and slightly curved. Flowering and fruiting period is from May to August.
Typha grows in lakes, ponds, ditches, swamps, and slow-moving river banks. It is cultivated in various provinces and regions of China, including Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Yunnan, and Taiwan. It is also distributed in the Philippines, Japan, the former Soviet Union, and Oceania.
Reed grass has high economic value; its pollen, known as Pu Huang, is used in medicine; the leaves are used for weaving and papermaking; the base of the young leaves and the tip of the rhizome can be eaten as vegetables; the female inflorescence can be used as filling for pillows and cushions, making it one of the important aquatic economic plants. Additionally, this species has upright leaves and robust inflorescences, often used for ornamental purposes.