Eriophorum

Updated on Sep 19, 2024

Edit

Comment

Kingdom Plantae Family Cyperaceae Rank Genus		Order Poales Scientific name Eriophorum Higher classification Sedges

Lower classifications Eriophorum vaginatum, Eriophorum angustifolium, Eriophorum latifolium, Eriophorum scheuchzeri, Eriophorum gracile

Eriophorum vaginatum time lapse

Eriophorum (cottongrass, cotton-grass or cottonsedge) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cyperaceae, the sedge family. They are found throughout the arctic, subarctic and temperate portions of the Northern Hemisphere in acid bog habitats, being particularly abundant in Arctic tundra regions.

They are herbaceous perennial plants with slender, grass-like leaves. The seed heads are covered in a fluffy mass of cotton which are carried on the wind to aid dispersal. In cold Arctic regions, these masses of translucent fibres also serve as 'down' – increasing the temperature of the reproductive organs during the Arctic summer by trapping solar radiation.

Eriophorum Eriophorum vaginatum tussock cottonsedge Go Botany

Veenpluis eriophorum angustifolium 2013 06 23

Selected species

The following species are included:

Eriophorum Eriophorum vaginatum Wikipedia

Eriophorum angustifolium Honck. – widespread across Europe, Asia, North America

Eriophorum × beringianum Raymond – Alaska including Aleutians; Magadan region of Russia (hybrid E. angustifolium × E. chamissonis)

Eriophorum brachyantherum Trautv. & C.A.Mey. – Scandinavia, northern Russia, Mongolia, Korea, Alaska, northern Canada

Eriophorum callitrix Cham. ex C.A.Mey. – Siberia, Russian Far East, Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Montana, Wyoming

Eriophorum chamissonis C.A.Mey. – Siberia, Russian Far East, Korea, Mongolia, Alaska, Canada, Greenland, northern and western United States

Eriophorum crinigerum (A.Gray) Beetle – Oregon, northwestern California

Eriophorum × fellowsii (Fernald) M.S.Novos. – Ontario, Maine, Massachusetts (hybrid E. virginicum × E. viridicarinatum)

Eriophorum gracile Koch – much of Europe; northern and Central Asia; China, Tibet, Mongolia, Alaska, Canada, northern United States

Eriophorum × gracilifolium M.S.Novos. – European Russia (hybrid E. gracile × E. latifolium)

Eriophorum humile Turcz. – Altai, Tuva, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Amur

Eriophorum latifolium Hoppe – much of Europe; Caucasus, Turkey, Mongolia

Eriophorum × medium Andersson – scattered locations in Finland, Norway, Russia, Alaska, Quebec, Labrador (hybrid E. chamissonis × E. scheuchzeri)

Eriophorum × polystachiovaginatum Beauverd – France (hybrid E. angustifolium × E. vaginatum)

Eriophorum × pylaieanum Raymond – scattered locations in Canada and Alaska (hybrid E. chamissonis × E. vaginatum)

Eriophorum × rousseauianum Raymond – Alaska, Quebec (hybrid E. angustifolium × E. scheuchzeri)

Eriophorum scabriculme (Beetle) Raymond – Vietnam

Eriophorum scheuchzeri Hoppe – much of Europe; northern and Central Asia including Siberia, Xinjiang, Himalayas, Alaska, Greenland, Canada, mountains of western United States

Eriophorum tenellum Nutt. – eastern Canada and northeastern United States from Nunavut and Labrador to New Jersey

Eriophorum tolmatchevii M.S.Novos. – Krasnoyarsk, Yakutiya

Eriophorum transiens Raymond – Guizhou

Eriophorum vaginatum L. – most of genus range

Eriophorum virginicum L. – eastern North America from Labrador to Tennessee, west to Michigan

Eriophorum viridicarinatum (Engelm.) Fernald – Canada including Arctic territories; northern United States

Eriophorum Eriophorum angustifolium Honck Common Cottongrass Flora of

References

Eriophorum Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

Eriophorum vaginatum time lapse

Contents

Veenpluis eriophorum angustifolium 2013 06 23

Selected species

References