Lesser Bulrush - Typha angustifolia
Local name: Biodo, Biodano, Sala.
Less common that the Bulrush, the Lesser Bulrush shares first prize with the Common Reed (Phragmites australis [2]) for the tallest plant of all the herbaceous species that grow in Italian fresh water habitats.
It is easily distinguished from the Bulrush Typha latifolia [3] especially by the short bit of stem separating the male spike from the female one.
Even without its inflorescence, it is easy to appreciate the more slender leaves, which tend to grow in a spiral.
At first sight Typha angustifolia looks more slender and a paler green than its congeneric species.
In the past the long leaves of the Lesser Bulrush were also gathered as plaiting and weaving material.
In northern Tuscany the Lesser Bulrush is currently in decline; it occurs at the Fucecchio Marshes and Lake Sibolla.
