One would be hard pressed to find anyone with enough interest to look in a weeds book who doesn`t already know what a cattail looks like. Euell Gibbons referred to this plant as the `supermarket of the wilds.` The pollen from the male flowers makes a fine flour substitute while the `grain` from the female flowers is high in protein. The `fluff` can be used as padding, insulation, or tinder, and the leaves can be woven to form mats, baskets, roofs, etc.. The young stalks, which taste like cucumbers, are called `Russian asparagus,` and the roots provide a starchy meal.
