Eriophorum gracile Slender Cottongrass RR DDD N
Eriophorum gracile likes to grow in the wettest parts of valley mires and so reaching its habitat is one of those hazardous journeys involving hopping from tussock to tussock and risking getting your wellies stuck in stinking, black mud. The plant itself is similar at first sight to Common Cottongrass (Eriphorum angustifolium) in that it has multiple fruiting heads but in E. gracile fruits are supported by an angled stem rather than a round one.
E. angustifolium also has smooth stems while E. gracile has minute bristles. The fruiting heads are smaller and narrower in E. gracile.
E gracile is found in a few places in Wales and southern England and is a bit more common in western Ireland but it is not found in Scotland.
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| Eriophorum gracile Slender Cottongrass |
Lleyn peninsula, Wales 18th June 2010
Added on 19th June 2010