Three cattail taxa are recognized in Michigan USA: native Typha latifolia (broad-leaf cattail), the invasive Typha angustifolia (narrow-leaf cattail), and the hybrid of these two species Typha x glauca. Typha angustifolia and T. x glauca are of special interest because of their ability to aggressively spread and out-compete the native cattail T. latifolia. Typha x glauca has been shown to out-compete both its parental taxa and produce monospecific stands. We surveyed the Pierce Cedar Creek Institute(PCCI) property for cattails and located 25 distinct cattail marshes. We determined the total area of cattail marsh at PCCI to be roughly 10 of the 267 ha property. Cattail individuals were sampled from each of the 25 stands and RAPD markers were used to identify the individuals to species. We found that 20 of the 25 stands were monospecific for the native cattail, T. latifolia. Five of the stands were mixtures of the native T. latifolia and the introduced T. angustifolia, and T. x glauca was found intwo of the mixed stands. We recommend removal of the invasive T. angustifolia and T. x glauca individuals and the establishment of a monitoring plan in order to maintain the long-term health of the cattail marshes at PCCI.
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