OregonFlora: Eriophorum scheuchzeri vs. Eriophorum

	Eriophorum scheuchzeri	Eriophorum
		cottongrass
Habit		Herbs perennial, rhizomatous.
Culms		solitary or clustered, trigonous or terete.
Leaves		basal and cauline; cauline leaves sometimes consisting of bladeless sheaths; ligules present; blades to 25 cm × 2.5–4 mm.
Inflorescences		terminal; spikes 1–10(30); involucral bracts 1–several; scale-like or blade-bearing and leaf-like throughout.
Spikes		floral scales (10)20–200, spirally arranged; each subtending a flower or the proximal few empty.
Flowers		bisexual; perianth persistent; of (8)10–25 hair-like; smooth bristles, greatly elongate, essentially straight, usually obscuring most of scales in spike; much longer than achene; stamens 1–3; styles deciduous; stigmas 3.
Achenes		trigonous.

	Eriophorum scheuchzeri	Eriophorum
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	[BONAP county map]
Discussion		Mostly in cool temperate, alpine, and arctic regions of the northern hemisphere. Approximately 25 species; 3 species treated in Flora.
Source		Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 244 Barbara Wilson, Richard Brainerd, Nick Otting
Sibling taxa	E. angustifolium, E. chamissonis, E. gracile
Subordinate taxa		E. angustifolium, E. chamissonis, E. gracile
Web links	Local floras: BC Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Eriophorum scheuchzeri

Eriophorum

cottongrass

Habit

Herbs perennial, rhizomatous.

Culms

solitary or clustered, trigonous or terete.

Leaves

basal and cauline;

cauline leaves sometimes consisting of bladeless sheaths;

ligules present;

blades to 25 cm × 2.5–4 mm.

Inflorescences

terminal;

spikes 1–10(30);

involucral bracts 1–several; scale-like or blade-bearing and leaf-like throughout.

Spikes

floral scales (10)20–200, spirally arranged; each subtending a flower or the proximal few empty.

Flowers

bisexual;

perianth persistent; of (8)10–25 hair-like; smooth bristles, greatly elongate, essentially straight, usually obscuring most of scales in spike; much longer than achene;

stamens 1–3;

styles deciduous;

stigmas 3.

Achenes

trigonous.