Eriophorum L.
Plants caespitose, or not caespitose (with single unbranched stems). Plants less than 15 cm high, or more than 15 cm high; 7–30(–80) cm high. Roots colourless, or pallid-brown, or black. Ground level or underground stems horizontal, or not developed horizontally or vertically; rhizomatous, or stoloniferous; elongate. Scales present, or absent. Aerial stems erect; triangular in cross section, or circular or oval in cross section; glabrous. Leaves mostly basal, or distributed along the stems. Sheaths greyish brown, or brown, or reddish; with the margins fused to the apex; glabrous. Ligules present; 0.3–1 mm long; ovate-oblong, or transversely oblong; apices acute, or obtuse; entire. Blades straight; linear; triangular in cross section, or flat, or folded, or caniculate; glabrous, or scabrous.
Flowering stems conspicuously taller than the leaves; glabrous. Leaf or reduced bract closely associated with the base of the inflorescence present; conspicuous and leaf-like, or reduced, or scale-like; shorter than the apex of the inflorescence; 0.4–5 cm long; sheathless. Inflorescence spicate; dense; 1–12 cm long; 10–60 mm wide. Pedicels smooth, or scabrous. Inflorescence a single spike, or multispicate; 1–5 spikes; lateral spikes borne on pedicels (if applicable). Individual spike(s) erect, or pendent. Bisexual spike(s) with empty bracts at the base, or without empty bracts at the base. Terminal spike with both sexes in each floret. Flowers small, less than 5 mm in diameter or length; sessile or subsessile. Floral scales black, or pale grey; with margins the same colour as the body of the scale, or with margins, and sometimes mid-vein paler in colour than the adjacent area of the scale; reflexed, or not reflexed (usually); acute; 4–15 mm long; 1–5 mm wide; glabrous. Perianth represented by bristles; bristles silky white, or translucent, or dull white or yellowish. Anthers 0.5–5 mm long. Styles 3. Stigmas per style 3. Fruit not surrounded by a perigynium; 1.1–3.5 mm long; black, or brown, or golden brown. Achenes trigonous.
Chromosome information. 2n = 58, 60.
Distribution. Circumpolar, or amphi-Atlantic, or North American. Arctic, or high arctic, or low arctic. Range in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago wide-spread, or limited. Common, or rare.
Cite this publication as: Aiken, S.G., Boles, R.L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 1999 onwards. ‘Cyperaceae of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago: Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification, and Information Retrieval.’ Version: 6th November 2000. http://http://www.mun.ca/biology/delta/arcticf/. Dallwitz (1980) and Dallwitz, Paine and Zurcher (1993, 1995, 2000) should also be cited (see References).