Eriophorum polyftachion. Many-Headed Cotton -Grafs. 
ERIOPHORUM Lin. Gen. PI. Triandria Monogynia. 
Gluma paleaceas, undique imbricatas. Cor. o. Sem. u Land longiflima 
cin&um. 
Raii. Syn. Gen. 23. Herba: gr aminifolx^ non culmifera: flore imperfecto 
SEU STAMINEO. 
ERIOPHORUM polyflathion culmis teretibus, foliis planis, fpicis pedunculatis. Lin. Syjl. Vegttab. p. 87. 
Sp. Pl. p. 76. FI. Suec. n. 49. 
ERIOPHORUM foliis planis, fpicis pendulis. Haller, hijl. n. 1331. 
L 1 NAGROSTIS polyjlachia. Seopoli. FI. Carn. n. 66 . 
GRAMEN pratenfe tomentofum panicula fparfa. C. B. Pin. 4. 
GRAMEN tomentarium. Ger. emac. 29. 
GRAMEN junceum lanatum, vel juncus bombycinus vulgaris. Park 1271. Scbeuzch. Agrojl. ed. 
Haller, p. 306. Vaill. Bot. Paris, t. 16. f. 1. 2. Raii Syn. p. 433. Cotton-grafs. 
Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 89. 
Hudfon FI. Angi. ed. p. 2 1 . 
RADIX perennis, repens, fufca, feu caftanei coloris, 
fibrillis plurimis albis, aut rubentibus in- 
ftruCta. 
CULMUS faepius folitarius, dodrantalis, feu pedalis, et 
ultra, ereCtus, teres, lasvis, geniculis duobus 
parum extantibus plerumque notatus, va- 
ginis foliorum per totam longitudinem te&us. 
FOLIA ima marcida, caftanea, brevia, lanceolata, ftri- 
ato-reticulata ; fuperiora bafi fuaardte culmum 
ampleftentia, lineas duas ad tres lata, fpitha- 
maea et ultra, fenfim attenuata, fiepe pras- 
morfa, hinc convexa, inde concava, glabra ; 
fuprema planiora, multo breviora, et mani- 
fefte carinata ; vagina foliorum culmi, asquali 
ubique fere magnitudine, ubi folium exit paulo 
laxiores, et fiflura membrana impleta notatae. 
BRACTEAE tres aut quatuor, longitudine inaequales, 
bafi vaginantes, culmutn terminant, e quarum 
finubus fpiculas prodeunt. 
SPICUL^E plerumque plures a duabus ad feptem, ova- 
tiE, immature ere&ae, per aetatem pendulae. 
CALYX : fpica undique imbricata : fquamis ovato ob- 
longis, plano-iuflexis, membranaceis, laxis, 
acuminatis, flores diftinguentibus. jig. 1. 
COROLLA nulla. 
STAMINA: Filamenta tria, capillaria; Anthera: 
ereChe, oblongae. Jig. 2. 
PISTILLUM: Germen minimum; Stylus filifor- 
mis, longitudine fquamae calycis ; Stigmata 
tria, ftylo longiora, reflexa. Jig. 3. 
PER ICARPIUM nullum. 
SEMEN triquetrum, acuminatum, nigrum, villis fpica 
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 through- 
out its whole length with the fheaths of the 
leaves. 
LEAVES next the root withered, of a chefnut colour, 
fhort, lanceolate, ftriated, and marked with 
fhort tranfverfe lines, which give them a re- 
ticulated appearance, the fucceeding leaves , at 
their bafe clofely embracing the ftalk, from 
two to three lines in breadth, about feven in- 
ches 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 uppermojl leaves flatter, much 
fhorter, and manifeftly keeled ; Jheaths of the 
leaves nearly of an equal thick nefs through- 
out, where a leaf goes off more loofely con- 
nected, and marked with a fiflure filled by a 
membrane. 
FLORAL-LEAVES three or four of unequal lengths, 
forming fheaths at bottom terminate the 
ftalk, from the alae of which the fpiculas pro- 
ceed. 
SPICULiE for the moft part feveral, from two to feven, 
ovate, firft upright, afterwards pendulous. 
CALYX : a /pike covered on all fides with imbricated 
fquamse, of an ovate-oblong fhape, flat and 
bent in a little, membranous, loofe, running 
out to a long point, diftinguifhing the flowers. 
Jig ■ i- 
COROLLA wanting. 
STAMINA : three Filaments very fine; Anthera: 
upright and oblong. Jig. 2. 
PISTILLUM: Germen very fmall ; Style thread- 
fhaped, the length of the feales of the ca- 
lyx; Stigmata 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 Eriophorum is in a particular manner diftinguifhed from the other genera related to it by the leneth 
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 poMachhn than in 
the vagi natum ; and in Germany, and the more northern countries, has been manufactured into various articles 
of drefs, paper, and w icks for candles. Linnaus, in his Flora lapponica, informs us, that in fome parts of Sweden 
the peafants ftuft their pillows with it inftead of feathers, but that in Lapland, where the plant is fufficientlv 
plentiful, they do not apply it to any fuch purpofe, the fkin of the Rein-deer forming the whole of their bed 
and its furniture. 
Ill the fpring, Cattle appear to be very fond of its leaves, as they are generally found cropt, this may arife from 
the lcarcity of herbage at that leafon of the year, as the plant advances the Hems are always left untouched- it is 
in moors and boggy ground only that this plant is found, and in fuch flotations it is very plentiful • whole 'acres 
being often rendered white as fnow by it in the months of June and July when in feed. 
It flowers in April and May, and may be found in Batterfea meadows. 
