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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
from FNA
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
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[BONAP county map]
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
E. angustifolium, E. brachyantherum, E. callitrix, E. chamissonis, E. crinigerum, E. gracile, E. scheuchzeri, E. tenellum, E. virginicum, E. viridicarinatum
Synonyms E. spissum, E. spissum var. erubescens, E. vaginatum subsp. spissum
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 52. (1753)
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