May be either Common cattail (Typha latifolia) or Narrow Leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia). Both make up the bulk of plant life in shallow marshy areas, as masses of extremely long, upright blade-like leaves. Occasional stalks (which are usually shorter than the leaves) bear the seeds of the plant, with sausage-shaped spikes skewered in the middle of the stem. These start out green in the early season, covered in hard-to-recognize and petalless flowers, then slowly turn dark brown. In the fall and through winter, they become dry and start to disintegrate into masses of fluffy seeds when pressure is applied or in strong winds. (These structures bear a remarkable similarity to a corndog, though they are not edible at this stage and any attempts to ingest will result in choking on fluff, as many schoolchildren learn the hard way). Leaves die and turn beige in winter.