Friday, June 22, 2007

06.23.07 CATTAIL CHEMURGY


The cattails, Typha genus, in a friend’s water garden are beginning to bloom. Cattails were utilized by native americans for dozens of things, rushes for weaving mats, flower fluff for starting fires and for an insulating padding, and different parts of the plant for food. In the twentieth century the term "chemurgy" was coined for the science of preparing industrial products from agricultural raw materials. There is no doubt scientists will find many uses for this amazing plant. This blog's title, "cattail chemurgy" is borrowed from a nature bulletin of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County written in April of 1971 and now available, by unknown means, on the web!

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