Eriophorum angustifolium
Narrow- cotton grass ( Eriophorum angustifolium).
The Narrow-leaved cotton grass ( Eriophorum angustifolium) belongs to the family of the Sedge family ( Cyperaceae ). It is a distinctive type of high and intermediate marshes. The long Blütenhüllfäden the fruit form the significant white wool tuft of cotton grass ( Eriophorum ).
Description
The perennial herbaceous plant reaches heights of growth between 20 and 90 centimeters. This Geophyt and Helophyt lockerrasig grows and forms rhizomes and long streamers - unlike, for example, the vaginal cotton grass ( Eriophorum vaginatum ). The upright stems are leafy circular in cross section and are; above, they are smooth, gray-green round or blunt triangular. the
Leaf sheath of the uppermost leaf stalk is slightly inflated. The laterally rough leaf blades are linear, rinnig and narrowing into a long triangular tip. They are 2-6 mm wide and are dark green. In late summer they are often crowded to coppery red. The ligule ( ligule ) are very short.
The inflorescence has usually two leaf-like bracts deciduous. It consists of three to five, sometimes up to eight seated until stalked last overhanging spikelets. These are 10 to 22 millimeters long and are up to fünfzigblütig. The Ährchenstiele are smooth. Each hermaphrodite flower has three stamens ( anthers ) and scars. The husks are pointed, brown and hautrandig. The Hüllfäden the perianth ( perianth ) are numerous. Extend after bloom time up to five centimeters, later fall off as a unit with the fruits and form the characteristic of cotton grass white woolen hair. Her long Blütenhüllfäden remain after maturity at the base of the caryopsis ( a special type of nut fruit ) and form a flying machine for better dissemination of the seeds in the air. The caryopsis is sharp triangular almost winged, 2-3 mm long and brown. The Narrow-leaved cotton grass flowers from March to May Rarely there is a second flowering period in September.
Distribution and location
The Narrow-leaved cotton grass comes across Europe, in the arctic and temperate Asia and North America quite often in hot temperate to arctic climates from lowlands to altitudes of about 1960 meters sea level (planar - colline to subalpine ) ago.
It grows on nutrient-poor ( oligotrophic to mesotrophic ), base- and calcium-poor, acidic to moderately acidic, wet, partially flooded peat soils predominantly in intermediate bogs and rain bogs, in pine and birch carr woodlands and in secondary birch rich " bog forests " drained sites, but also oligotrophic on acidic, nutrient- poor sandy soils on banks of lakes.
Socialization
The Narrow-leaved cotton grass is a characteristic species of the class Scheuchzerio - Caricetea fuscae (small harrows Riede sour and base intermediate Moore). In lime intermediate bogs it is replaced by the Broad-leaved cotton grass ( Eriophorum latifolium ). In between bogs often grows together with peat moss as the spit - peat moss (Sphagnum cuspidatum ), bladder sedge ( Scheuchzeria palustris), White beak-sedge ( Rhynchospora alba) and marsh clover ( Menyanthes trifoliata ).
In Bult - bog complexes of class Oxycocco - Sphagnetea the rain Moore the narrow- cotton grass on the edges of bog, bog pools Blänken and growing. In places, it can also fill in all this. In young raised bog restoration projects, it often occurs on asset- forming. There it settled mostly the wet edges of the polder ( retention basins for the retention of rainfall ). Landward, it is often the vaginal cotton grass, which is preferably drier locations, detached.
Ecology
Ecological indicator values according to Ellenberg: L - 8 T - x K - x F - 9 = R - 4 N - 2 S - 0
The Narrow-leaved cotton grass is a rhizome - Geophyt with underground runners. The linear- rinnigen leaves are probably better understood as an adaptation to the mineral salt poverty of the site, so they represent a Peinomorphose, as is typical of bog plant. The Narrow-leaved cotton grass is a light plant, which means it grows in full light and endures only exceptional shading. His focus is on ecological sodden, often flooded, airless, acidic to moderately acidic, nitrogen-poor soils. It spends the winter with green leaves, but which are renewed in the spring.
The Narrow-leaved cotton grass is wind-pollinated ( anemophily ) from " Langstaubfädigen type" and vorweiblich. The shipment of seeds carried by the wind ( Anemochorie ). The Narrow-leaved cotton grass flowers from March to May Rarely there is a second flowering period in September.
The fruits are small, crowned by the highly elongated Perigonborsten nutlets; they stand together to many as weißwolliger head. The shipment of the fruit is carried by the wind ( Anemochorie ) as Schirmchenflieger. The sedimentation rate is approximately 22 cm / s, so be flying distance of at least 10 km are possible. In humid weather, an additional propagation takes place as Hafter water. Large specimens can produce up to 130,000 fruit. Fruit ripening in June.
Vegetative propagation is done by underground runners.
The sour grass is a Wurzelkriechpionier and can colonize suitable areas without vegetation quickly.
Threats and conservation
The Narrow-leaved cotton grass is not endangered worldwide and enjoys no legal protection. In Germany, the plant is considered nationwide as not at risk, however, in individual provinces in the Red List of endangered ferns and flowering plants as being at risk ( hazard category 3).