The Raupo (Typha orientalis) belongs to Typhaceae (the Cattail family). It is a perennial herb that is distributed from Honshu to Shikoku and Kyushu in Japan , as well as Taiwan, China, Asia and Oceania. It grows in ponds and rivers, and grows 1 to 1.5 m tall. The leaves are linear, about 1 cm wide, and narrower than the "Reedmace" leaves, sheathing at the base to enfold the stem. It produces spikes of flowers at the top of the stem from June to August. The upper male spikelets are connected to the lower female spikelets. It is called "香蒲" in Taiwanese and "東方香蒲" (dong fang xiang pu) in Chinese.