Eriophorum virginicum L.

Tawny cottongrass (en), Linaigrette de virginie (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Poales > Cyperaceae > Eriophorum

Characteristics

Plants colonial from long-creeping rhizomes. Culms 40–120 cm × 0.6–1 mm, smooth or scabrous distally. Leaves: blades flat, trigonous in cross section distally, to 30 cm × 1.5–4 mm; distal leaf blade much longer than sheath. Inflorescences: blade-bearing involucral bracts 2–5, sometimes brown-tinged proximally, leaflike, longest 4–12 cm. Spikelets 2–10, usually in dense head, ovoid, 6–10 mm in flower, 10–20 mm in fruit; peduncles 2–10(–20) mm, scabrid; scales brown, often with green center, ovate-oblong, 4–5 mm, obscurely ribbed or with 3–5 equally prominent ribs, apex obtuse. Flowers: perianth bristles usually 10 or more, brown at least at base, rarely entirely white, 12–18 mm, smooth; anthers 0.7–1.5 mm. Achenes dark brown to black, narrowly obovoid or ellipsoid, 2.5–4 mm.
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Stems stiff, erect, to 1 m, smooth or scabrous only at the summit, solitary or few together from a freely rooting base, the plant also with more slender, spreading rhizomes; blades flat, elongate, 2–4 mm wide; foliaceous bracts 2(3), unequal, much exceeding the infl; spikelets several, on short subequal pedicels, forming a crowded cluster; scales relatively thick and firm, coppery or brown, obtuse or acute, prominently 3–7-nerved; bristles tawny or coppery, seldom white; anthers 1–1.5 mm; achene 3–3.5 mm, a third as wide; 2n=58. Swamps and bogs; abundant; Nf. and Que. to Man. and Minn., s. to Fla. and Ky. Fr Aug.–Oct.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 1.2
Root system fibrous-root rhizome
Rooting depth (meter) 0.4
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light 7-8
Soil humidity 5-7
Soil texture -
Soil acidity 1-5
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 4-9

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Flower

Eriophorum virginicum flower picture by Christiane Forget (cc-by-sa)
Eriophorum virginicum flower picture by Andy Sheets (cc-by-sa)
Eriophorum virginicum flower picture by norbert verneau (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Eriophorum virginicum world distribution map, present in Canada, France, Micronesia (Federated States of), Malaysia, Nicaragua, and United States of America

Conservation status

Eriophorum virginicum threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:307421-1
WFO ID wfo-0000415188
COL ID 6GR5M
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 762069
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Eriophorum virginianum Eriophorum virginicum Scirpus virginicus Eriophoropsis virginica Eriophorum confertissimum Eriophorum virginicum f. album Eriophorum virginicum f. virginicum Eriophorum virginicum var. confertissimum Eriophorum virginicum var. album Eriophorum virginicum var. gracile