Reed mace, Typha angustifolia and T. latifolia
The roots can be eaten 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 and ground into a powder, this powder is rich in protein and can be mixed with wheat flour and then used for making bread, biscuits, muffins etc. The plant is best harvested from late autumn to early spring since it is richest in starch at this time.
The young shoots in spring are used raw or cooked. An asparagus substitute. The shoots can still be used when they are up to 50cm long.
The base of the mature stem is eaten raw or cooked. It is best to remove the outer part of the stem.
Immature flowering spikes are used raw, cooked or made into a soup. It tastes like sweet corn.
The seed is edible raw or cooked. The seed is rather small and fiddly to utilize, but has a pleasant nutty taste when roasted. The seed can be ground into a flour and used in making cakes etc.
Pollen can also be used raw or cooked. The pollen can be used as a protein rich additive to flour when making bread, porridge etc. It can also be eaten with the young flowers, which makes it considerably easier to utilize.
The leaves have been mixed with oil and used as a poultice on sores.
The pollen is used internally in the treatment of kidney stones, haemorrhage, painful menstruation, abnormal uterine bleeding, abscesses and cancer of the lymphatic system. It should not be prescribed for pregnant women.
Externally, it is used in the treatment of tapeworms, diarrhoea and injuries.
A decoction of the stems has been used in the treatment of whooping cough.
The roots are pounded into a jelly-like consistency and applied as a poultice to wounds, cuts, boils, sores, carbuncles, inflammations, burns and scalds.
The flowers are used in the treatment of a wide range of ailments including abdominal pain.
The young flower heads are eaten as a treatment for diarrhoea.
The seed down has been used as a dressing on burns and scalds.
The stems and leaves have many uses. Gathered in the autumn they make a good thatch, can be used in making paper, can be woven into mats, chairs, hats etc.
The pulp of the plant can be converted into rayon.
The stems can be used to make rushlights. The female flowers make an excellent tinder and can be lit from the spark of a flint.
A fibre is obtained from the blossom stem and flowers.
The hairs of the fruits are used for stuffing pillows etc. They have good insulating and buoyancy properties and have also been used as a lining for babies nappies.
The flowering stems can be dried and used for insulation, they also have good buoyancy properties.
The pollen is highly inflammable, it is used in making fireworks etc.