Cat's tails page

[Lewis]

Here's the foodstuff all the fluster has been about (or one of them).

Actually I guess it's only been a fluster for two groups of people - self-styled "Paleo" eaters who imagined that people never ate starchy foods in the past and sarcastic journalists who think that people's having used such things at all means that "Atkins was wrong" or something of the sort.

For the rest of us, here's an interesting summary:

http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Pla.../Cattails.html

I've seen these shown off on TV on "survival" programmes, but had forgotten that there were several uses for different parts of the plant at different times of the year. This writer says that:

It was a major staple for the American Indians

but doesn't reference his statement. He also says, interestingly, that:

The Indians also cattails medicinally

[Sam Cree]

Fascinating and thanks.

Regardless of whether Grok ate starch, and I kind of think he'd want to, he didn't have agriculture and base his entire diet on wheat, as we do. If I understand correctly, the health of mankind suffered greatly after the advent of agriculture, although it did make possible the city state and civilization, which will be necessary for our ultimate survival as a species. Unless we evolve into something else.

[piano-doctor-lady]

Interesting article about cattails. I knew they are good for purifying water and that parts of them are edible. I hadn't thought about using the leaves for weaving or thatch. Since they take no work to maintain once established, assuming that the water is available, they sound like they earn their keep.