Short answers, pulled from the story.
Typha down served as a superior substitute for kapok in life vests and aviation jackets for the United States Navy. The buoyancy of the plant remained effective even after 100 hours of submersion in salt water. This property made it a critical resource for sailors in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.
Evidence of preserved starch grains on grinding stones suggests that humans were harvesting the starchy rhizomes of Typha in Europe as far back as 30,000 years ago. These underground carbohydrate lumps provided 266 calories per 100 grams when processed into flour. The preparation required people to scrape or suck the starch from tough fibers.
Typha plants have become aggressive competitors that displace native species and shrink wet meadows in the Great Lakes and the Everglades. These plants form large, interconnected stands through rhizomes and create a dense canopy that excludes other vegetation. The problem is exacerbated by altered hydrology and increased nutrient levels.
Typha possess a unique biological adaptation called aerenchyma, a system of air channels that allows the plant to survive submersion. This feature enables them to colonize newly exposed wet mud and thrive in environments where other plants would suffocate. The seeds disperse by wind when the heads disintegrate into cottony fluff.
The plant is commonly known as the sausage tail in the American Midwest due to the striking similarity between the female flower spike and a kielbasa. This name was given by the Midwest Polish community and popularized in the mid-twentieth century. The female spike can be up to 30 centimeters long and 3 centimeters thick.
Typha stems and leaves have been used to make paper since 1853, when considerable amounts were produced in New York State. The resulting paper is strong with a heavy texture but is hard to bleach. In 1948, French scientists tested methods for annual harvesting of the leaves, but the high cost led to the abandonment of the research.