Cattail: meaning, definitions and examples

Commonly used in North American English to describe tall plants with brown, sausage-shaped flower spikes, often found in wetlands and marshes.

• We saw several cattails growing by the lake.
• Cattails are often used in crafts and traditional medicines.

More frequently used in British English, referring to tall, tufted plants typically growing at the edge of ponds and rivers. Can also refer more broadly to several types of rushes and reeds.

• The bulrushes swayed gently in the breeze by the canal.
• Bulrushes provide a habitat for many small creatures.

Used primarily in British English, similar to 'cattail,' focusing on the reed-like appearance of the plant. Common in descriptions of wetland flora.

• The conservation area is home to various species of reedmace.
• Reedmaces were growing thickly along the riverbank.

The scientific name for the plant, used in formal or scientific contexts. Ideal for academic writing or detailed botanical descriptions.

• Typha species can be found in wetland habitats across the globe.
• Research indicates that Typha latifolia is resilient to varying water conditions.