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- Eriophorum vaginatum
Eriophorum vaginatum — tussock cottonsedge
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Facts
Tussock cottonsedge has a circumboreal distribution and is very abundant in Canada and Alaska. In New England it is found in bogs, meadows and alpine tundra. In the far north, tussock cottonsedge forms a large part of the diet of caribou.
Habitat
Alpine or subalpine zones, bogs, meadows and fields
Characteristics
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Stem shape in cross-section
-
- the stem is roughly triangular in cross-section
- the stem is round or oval in cross-section
- Leaf blade width
- 0–10 mm
- Leaf blade cross-section
- the leaf blade is elliptic or circular in cross-section
- Inflorescence position
- the inflorescence is at the tip of the plant
- Inflorescence branching
- the inflorescence is on one or more stems with no branches
- Fruit type (general)
-
- the fruit is like a seed, and surrounded by hairs
- the fruit is like a seed, and surrounded by scales
- Fruit length
- 1.9–3.5 mm
- Leaf position on plant
- the attachment points of all the leaves are at or near the base of the plant
- Perianth composition
- there are bristles attached at the base of the achene
- Fruit cross-section
- the fruit is triangular to terete (circular) in cross-section
-
Flowers
- Anther length
- 1–3 mm
- Floral bristle color
- the bristles are white
- Floral bristle number
- 8 or more
- Floral bristle relative length
- the bristles are longer than the achene
- Floral bristles
- the bristles are straight or slightly curved
- Floral scale hairs
- there are no hairs on the floral scales
- Floral scale length
- 5–10 mm
- Floral scale shape
-
- the floral scales are lanceolate (widest below the middle, and tapering at both ends)
- the floral scales are ovate (roughly egg-shaped)
- Floral scale translucent
- the floral scales are opaque
- Flower number per cluster
-
- 5-20
- more than 20
- Inflorescence bract angle
- NA
- Inflorescence bract number
- NA
- Inflorescence bract position (Sparganium)
- NA
- Inflorescence bracts
- NA
- Inflorescence branching
- the inflorescence is on one or more stems with no branches
- Inflorescence crowding
- the inflorescence is at least somewhat spread out, with at least one branch coming from the main stem
- Inflorescence position
- the inflorescence is at the tip of the plant
- Inflorescence shape
- the aggregations within the inflorescence are roughly circular (not flattened) in cross-section
- Inflorescence type
- there is one spike or raceme at the tip of the stem
- Perianth composition
- there are bristles attached at the base of the achene
- Stamen number
-
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Stigma number
- 3
- Style division
- the top two thirds of the style is divided
- floral bristle barbs
- the bristles do not have barbs on them
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene tubercle relative width
- NA
- Achene tubercle width
- 0 mm
- Capsule relative length
- NA
- Fruit cross-section
- the fruit is triangular to terete (circular) in cross-section
- Fruit length
- 1.9–3.5 mm
- Fruit type (general)
-
- the fruit is like a seed, and surrounded by hairs
- the fruit is like a seed, and surrounded by scales
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is an achene (dry, seed-like fruit) without a tubercle (a swelling or projection, usually of a different color or texture)
- Locules in capsule
- NA
- Seed length
- 0 mm
- Seed tail relative length
- 0 mm
- Seed tails
- NA
- Tubercle height
- 0 mm
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Underground organs
- the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
-
Leaves
- Auricle length
- 0 mm
- Auricle texture
- NA
- Auricles
- there are no auricles on the leaf sheath
- Leaf blade cross-section
- the leaf blade is elliptic or circular in cross-section
- Leaf blade length
- Up to 10 mm
- Leaf blade width
- 0–10 mm
- Leaf form
- all the leaves hold their form out of water
- Leaf position on plant
- the attachment points of all the leaves are at or near the base of the plant
- Leaf septa
- the leaf blades do not have transverse septa
- Leaf sheath hairs
- the leaf sheathes are without hairs
- Pedicel length (Typha)
- 0 mm
- Stem leaf blade ligules
- the plant has ligules at the leaf blade bases
- Stem leaf blades
- there are no leaves on the main stem, or there is a small tooth or tiny blade, or a leaf sheath with no blade
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- alpine or subalpine zones
- bogs
- meadows or fields
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 10–60 cm
- Stem shape in cross-section
-
- the stem is roughly triangular in cross-section
- the stem is round or oval in cross-section
Wetland status
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
- Maine
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
- Rhode Island
- historical (S-rank: SH), state historical (code: SH)
var. spissum
- Connecticut
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), threatened (code: T)
- Maine
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
- Massachusetts
- widespread (S-rank: S5)
Native to North America?
Yes
Synonyms
- Eriophorum spissum Fern.
- Eriophorum vaginatum L. var. spissum (Fern.) Boivin
Family
Genus
Notes on subspecies and varieties in New England
Our subspecies is Eriophorum vaginatum L. ssp. spissum (Fern.) Hultén.
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
4. Eriophorum vaginatum L. ssp. spissum (Fern.) Hultén N
tussock cottonsedge. Eriophorum spissum Fern.; E. vaginatum L. var. spissum (Fern.) Boivin • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Bogs, meadows, alpine tundra.