Eriophorurn polyftachion. Many-Headed Cotton -Grais.
ERIOPHORUM Lin. Gen. PI. T riandria Monogynia.
Gluma paleace®, undique imbricatae. Cor. o. Sent. i. Lana longiffimü
cinCtum.
Rail. Syn. Gen. 23. H erbje graminifo lije non cu lm if e r « flore im perfe c to
s e u STAMINEO.
ERIOPHORUMpolyftachion culmis teretibus, foliis plains, fpicis pedunculatis. Lin. Syfi. Fegelab. p. 87.
Sp. PI. p. 76. ' FI. Suec. n. 49^ p
ERIOPHORUM foliis planis, fpicis pendulis. Haller, hiß. n. 1331.
LINAGROSTIS polyßachia. Scopoli. FI. Cam. n. 66.
GRAMEN pratenfe tomentofum panicula fparfa. C. B. Pin +•
GRAMEN toraentaiium. Ger. emac. 29.
GRAMEN iunceum lanatum, vel juncm bombycinus vulgaris. Pari. 1271. Scheuzch..Agnß. ei.
J Haller, p. 306. Vaill. Bot. Paris, t. 16. f. I. 2. Rail Syn. p. 433. Cotton-grafs.
Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 89.
HudJ'on Fl. Angl. ed. p. 21.
RADIX perennis, repens, fufca, feu caftaneî coloris, |
fibrillis plurimis albis, aut rubentibus nr- %
ftruda. • I
CULMUS fæpius folitarius, dodrantalis, feu pedalxs, et ^
ultra, ereCtus, teres, lævis, geniculis duobiis *
parum extantibus plerumque notatus, va- |
ginis foliorum per totam longitudinem teCtus. |
FOLIA ima marcida, caftanea, brevia, lanceolata, ftri- |
ato-reticulata ; fuperiora bafi fua arete culmum |
ampleCtentia, lineas duas ad très lata, fpitha- .j.
mæa et ultra, fenfim attenuata, fæpe præ- |
morfa, hinc con vexa, inde concava, glabra ; |
fuprema plamora, multo breviora,. .• et mani- %
fefte carinata; w^/Wfoliorum culmi, æquali |
ubique fere magnitudine, ubi folium exit paulo ^
laxiores, et fiflurâ membranâ impleta notatæ. f
f
*
i
BRACTEÆ très aut quatuor, longitudine inæquales, %
bafi vaginantes, culmurn terminant, e quarum |
finubus fpiculæ prodeunt. ^i
SPICULÆ plerumque plures a duabus ad feptem, .ova- |
tæ, immaturæ ereCtæ, per ætatem pendulæ. $
CALYX : Jpica undique imbricata : fquamis ovato ob- |
longis, piano-iuflexis, membranaceis, Iaxis, |
acuminatis, flores diftinguentibus. jig. 1. ¥
ît
COROLLA nulla. |
STAMINA: Filamenta tria, capillaria ; Antheræ |
ereCtæ, oblongæ. Jig. 2.
PISTILLUM: Germen minimum; Stylus filifor- |
mis, longitudine fquamæcalycis ; Stigmata ^
tria, ftylo longiora, reflexa. Jig. 3.
PERICARPIUM nullum.
SEMEN triquetrum, acuminatum, nigrum, villis fpicâ J
longioribus inftru&um. Jig. 4. 5. 6. 7. *
ROOT perennial, creeping, of a brown or chefnut
colour, furnifhed with numerous white or
reddifh fibres.
STALK for the moft part folitary, from nine inches
to a foot or more in height, upright, round,
fmooth, for the moft part furnifhed with two
joints which project a little, covered throughout
its whole length with the (heaths of the
i; leaves.'.
LEAVES next the root withered, of a chefnut colour,
(hort, lanceolate, ftriated, and marked with
fhort tranfverfe lines, which give them a reticulated
appearance, the fucceeding leaves, at
their bafe clolely embracing the ftalk, from
two to three lines in breadth, about feven inches
or more in length, gradually tapering
to the extremity, where they are often, bit off,
convex on one fide, concave on the other, and
fmooth, the upper mo ft leaves flatter, much
fhorter, and manifeftly keeled; Jheaths of the
leavrs nearly of an equal thicknefs throughout,
where a leaf goes off more loofely connected
^ and marked with a fiflure filled by a
membrane.
FLORAL-LEAVES three or four of unequal lengths,
forming (heaths at bottom terminate the
ftalk, from the alas o f which the (picul* proceed.
SPICULiE for the moft part feveral, from two to feven,
ovate, firft upright, afterwards pendulous..
CA L YX : a fpike covered on all (ides with imbricated
fquamze, of an ovate-oblong (hape, flat and
bent in a little, membranous, loofe, running
out to a long point, diftingu'ifhing the flowers.
Jig. 1. ,
COROLLA wanting.
STAMINA: three Filaments very fine; Anther«
upright and oblong. Jig. 2.
PISTILLUM: G ermen very fmall; St y l e thread-
(haped, the length o f the feales o f the caly
x ; S t ig m a t a three, longer than the ftyle,
turned back. Jig, 3.
SEED-VESSEL none.
SEED three-cornered, pointed, black, furnifhed with
hairs which are longer than the fpike. Jig. 4. 5.
6. 7.
The Genus Eriophorurn is in a particular manner diftinguilhed from the other genera related to it, by the length
of the hairs which envelope the feed ; and which, when the feed is ripe, aflume the appearance of cotton, whence
its name of Cotton-grafs, this cotton is much longer, and produced in greater quantities in the polyjlachhn, than in
the vaginatum; and in Germany, and the more northern countries, has been manufactured into various articles
of drefs, joaper, and wicks for candles. L inn« us, in his Flora lap-ponica, informs us, that in fome parts of Sweden,
the peafants (tuff their pillows with it inftead of feathers, but that in La planch where the plant is fufficiently
plentiful, they do not apply it to any fuch purpofe, the (kin of the Rein-deer forming the whole of their bed
and its furniture.
In the fpring, Cattle appear to be very fond of its leaves, as they are generally found cropt, this may arife from
the fcarcity of herbage at that feafon of the year, as the plant advances the ftems arc always left untouched; it is
in moors and boggy ground only that this plant is found, and in (uch fituations it is very plentiful; whole acres
bemg often rendered white as fnowbyit in the months of June and July when in feed.
It flowers in April and May, and may be found in Batterfea meadows.