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Eriophorum virginicum
Eriophorum virginicum L.
Tawny Cottongrass
Cyperaceae (Sedge Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: ERVI8
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N), SPM (N)
Spikelets in a dense, head-like, terminal cluster with tufts of tawny, copper-colored, or whitish, silky hairs elongating greatly as seeds mature; stem triangular toward top, round below.
There are numerous species of these mostly northern cotton- grasses (actually sedges), most with white instead of tan bristles. They are especially showy in open northern bogs, which from a distance may appear to be covered with snow. The genus name is from the Greek erion ("cotton" or "wool") and phoros ("bearing") and refers to the cottony nature of the fruiting head, as does the common name cottongrass.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Grass/Grass-like
Root Type: Fibrous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Shape: Linear
Leaf Venation: Parallel
Inflorescence: Spikelet
Fruit Type: Achene
Size Notes: Up to about 4 feet tall.
Leaf: Green
Fruit: Dark brown to black
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , Green , BrownBloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep
Distribution
USA: CT , DC , DE , GA , IA , IL , IN , KY , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , PA , RI , SC , TN , VA , VT , WI , WVCanada: NB , NS , ON , PE
Native Distribution: Manitoba east to Newfoundland, south to Georgia, and northwest to Tennessee, Iowa, and Minnesota.
Native Habitat: Bogs and wet meadows.
Growing Conditions
Water Use: MediumLight Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Wet
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
National Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | OBL | OBL | OBL | OBL | OBL |
Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Eriophorum virginicum in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Eriophorum virginicum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Eriophorum virginicum
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-02-09Research By: TWC Staff