Marc Webb, age 8, of South Sioux City, Neb., for his question:

ARE CATTAILS USEFUL?

Those wild plants called cattails  they were given the name because they look like the tails of cats  can be found in swamps and marshes throughout the United States and the southern part of Canada. They can get to be six feet tall. On the Pacific Coast they are known as tule reeds.

Cattails have quite a number of useful features. First of all, they make excellent decorations in homes. Florists make good use of them in special arrangements.

Roots of cattails contain a starch that is eaten by many, including Russians. The English eat them also under the name of Cossak asparagus.

A silky down from cattails is used for dressing wounds, and the plant has also been used as a substitute for cotton. Some use the highly inflammable pollen as tinder.