Cattails

charcoal with trees, cat tails & Earth

drawing runs with trees and cattail 4'

Stuyvesant NY

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Cattails grown in a multitude of places around the United States, and if eaten correctly, can be a superb source of energy-bearing nutrients. Knowing what you can and can’t eat safely when in either a short or long-term survival situation may mean the difference between life and death.

One of the most important minerals contained in cattails is manganese. According to the Eat The Weeds website, the “weed” generates more edible starch per acre than potatoes, Cat o’ nine tails, rice, yams and taros. A single acre of cattails can produce approximately 6,474 pounds of flour during an average year. Cattails were reportedly set to be fed to World War II soldiers, but the fighting ended first.

In North America two species of cattails are common – Typha latifolia and Typha angustifolia. Typha, a Greek word, means “marsh.” The disease known as typhoid and the phrase Typhoid Mary both stem from the ancient word. Latifolia and angustifolia reference lead size, the former indicating wide and the latter referencing slimness. Typha latifolia prefers to grow in shallow water and angustifolia thrives in deeper water, but the two species are also found side-by-side and crossbreed on occasion.

The brown flower spikes can be dried in the sun and used as tinder or even a temporary torch. Native Americans once used cattails in mattresses and for other insulation and absorption needs. Due to cattails’ unique look, it is very difficult to misidentify mature plants, which could be very helpful when foraging for food. 

 copy and paste; http://www.offthegridnews.com/off-grid-foods/cattails-the-survival-food-thats-great-anytime/