Eriophorum vaginatum |
|
---|---|
hare's-tail cottongrass, linaigrette à large gaine, sheath cotton-grass, sheath cottonsedge, tussock cotton-grass, tussock cottonsedge |
|
Habit | Plants cespitose, tussock forming. |
Culms | 10–60 cm; basal sheaths brown. |
Leaves | bladeless sheaths 1–3 per culm, expanding distally, to 1 mm wide; blades filiform, trigonous, not more than 1 cm. |
Inflorescences | involucral bracts absent. |
Spikelets | solitary, erect, globose-subglobose to ovoid-oblong, 10–20 mm in flower, to 50 mm in fruit; scales lead-colored to greenish gray with white-hyaline margins to 1 mm wide; empty scales more than 10, ovate-lanceolate; proximal scales reflexed or spreading at maturity, 5–10 mm. |
Flowers | perianth bristles 10 or more, white, seldom reddish or brown, 10–18 mm, smooth; anthers 1–3 mm. |
Achenes | ovoid to obovoid, 1.9–3.5 mm, apex minutely apiculate. |
2n | = 58, 60. |
Eriophorum vaginatum |
|
Phenology | Fruiting summer. |
Habitat | Bogs, meadows, swales, tundra, wet places, peaty soils |
Elevation | 0–500 m (0–1600 ft) |
Distribution |
AK; CT; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; NH; NJ; NY; PA; RI; VT; WI; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; Eurasia
|
Discussion | Eriophorum vaginatum is variable; many authorities divide it into two subspecies, E. vaginatum subsp. vaginatum and E. vaginatum subsp. spissum (Fernald) Hultén, differing in spikelet shape, scale color, and anther size. The remarkable degree of morphologic overlap and the limited number of consistent characters that can be used to delimit the subspecies has been problematic and controversial. Many intermediates between the essentially sympatric subspecies occur, especially in the center of the range of the species. In the absence of definitive data only one taxon is recognized. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 23. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Eriophorum |
Sibling taxa | |
Synonyms | E. spissum, E. spissum var. erubescens, E. vaginatum subsp. spissum |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 52. (1753) |
Web links |