Thursday, February 26, 2009

baby bedding





Cattail? Perhaps, but, oh, you so look like a corndog to me. I can almost taste the mustard.

It’s a rather odd, wetland-loving plant. Cudgel shaped flower clusters. Native Americans used most parts of the plant; the starchy rhizomes are a nutritious and energy-rich food source. But today it really never ends up on our dinner plates. Perhaps, if the economy gets bad enough, that may change.

At this time of the year, the normally tight-fitting seed clusters are looking very disheveled, dispersing thousands and thousands of seeds. Native Americans used this downy plant fiber to pad their babies' cradle boards. Sounds comfortable. Many birds line their own cradles with it as well.

WARNING. Don't try this at home: I once created a dried arrangement of cattails indoors in the fall. In the spring the whole thing exploded, covering my apartment with a golden, puffy snow.

6 comments:

pickwickianmom said...

If the Sonic waitress brought that corn dog to my car, I'd send it back. Looks gnawed on. And grainy.

I'll have the cheeseburger.

Stephen Lyn Bales said...

Well then, pickwickianmom. You could use it to cradle your papoose.

Vickie said...

I loved the explosion part! Glad to know that in advance.

Stephen Lyn Bales said...

Yes Vickie. It became a very lively dried arrangement.

pickwickianmom said...

If it explodes in a flower arrangement, I wonder what it does in the microwave???

Stephen Lyn Bales said...

pickianmom.

Yes, a lot of things tend to explode. Over the years I've been conducting an informal study, without a grant, just on my own with no funding.

My data is incomplete, but I have found that things tend to either explode or just the opposite. I once microwaved a brownie so long it was like a charcoal briquet. Still somewhat tasty albeit hard to chew.