text: eriophorum angustifolium eriophorum angustifolium , commonly known as common cottongrass or common , is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family cyperaceae . native to north america , north asia , and northern europe , it is often found on peat or acidic soils , in open wetland , heath or moorland . it begins to flower in april or may and , after fertilisation in early summer , the small , unremarkable brown and green flowers develop distinctive white bristle - like seed - heads that resemble tufts of cotton ; combined with its ecological suitability to bog , these characteristics give rise to the plant 's alternative name , bog cotton . eriophorum angustifolium is a hardy , herbaceous , rhizomatous , perennial sedge , able to endure in a variety of environments in the temperate , subarctic and arctic regions of earth . unlike gossypium , the genus from which cotton is derived , the bristles which grow on e. angustifolium are unsuited to textile manufacturing . nevertheless , in northern europe , they were used as a substitute in the production of paper , pillows , candle - wicks , and wound - dressings . the indigenous peoples of north america use the plant in cooking and in the treatment of digestive problems . following a vote in 2002 , plantlife international designated e. angustifolium the county flower of greater manchester , as part of its british county flowers campaign . description in the wild , eriophorum angustifolium is a creeping rhizomatous perennial sedge , with an abundance of unbranched , translucent pink roots . fully grown , it has a tall , erect stem shaped like a narrow cylinder or triangular prism ; it is smooth in texture and green in colour . reports of the plant 's height vary ; estimates include up to 60 cm ( 24 in ) , 15 – 75 cm ( 5 . 9 – 29 . 5 in ) , and up to 100 cm ( 39 in ) . e. angustifolium has " stiff grass - like foliage " consisting of long , narrow solidly dark green leaves , which have a single central groove , and narrow from their 2 – 6 - millimetre ( 0 . 08 – 0 . 24 in ) wide base to a rust - coloured triangular tip . up to seven green and brown aerial peduncles and , roughly 4 – 10 millimetres ( 0 . 16 – 0 . 39 in ) in size , protrude from umbels at the top of the stem from which are produced after fertilisation , each with a single pappus ; these combine to form a distinctive white perianth around 5 centimetres ( 2 . 0 in ) long . eriophorum angustifolium is described as " a rather dull plant " in winter and spring , but " simply breathtaking " in summer and autumn , when 1 – 7 conspicuous inflorescences – composed of hundreds of white pappi comparable to cotton , hair , tassels , and / or bristles – stand out against naturally drab surroundings . eriophorum angustifolium differs from other species within the genus eriophorum in its habitat and morphology . its multiple flower heads and growth from rhizomes distinguish it from e. vaginatum , which has a single flower head and grows from dense tussocks . although e. latifolium has 2 – 12 flower heads , it has caespitose ( tufted ) growth , and its pappi are forked . the smooth peduncles and preference for acidic soil ph distinguishes e. angustifolium from e. gracile , which grows in swamp with a neutral ph and has ( rough ) peduncles . distribution and ecology distribution eriophorum angustifolium is native to the northern hemisphere , and distributed across eurasia , north america and the british isles , where there is open bog , heath , wetland and moorland , with standing water and calcareous peat or acidic soil . it can survive in the subarctic and arctic , and is found in alaska , finland and greenland as far north as 83 ° n. the british botanist william turner - dyer recorded e. angustifolium in the south african republic in 1898 . in north america , eriophorum angustifolium is found in the north from alaska through manitoba and the canadian prairies to newfoundland and labrador , down the pacific northwest and the state of washington , across the midwestern united states through michigan and iowa , down the eastern seaboard as far south - east as new york and new jersey , and reaching as far south - west as new mexico . in eurasia , e. angustifolium is distributed throughout the caucasus , european russia and north asia , including siberia and the kamchatka peninsula , and south - east to manchuria and korea . it grows throughout continental europe , with the exception of those parts within the mediterranean basin , growing in scandinavia in the north , and as far south as the norte region of portugal and the mountains of greece . eriophorum angustifolium is the most common of the four native species of eriophorum in the british isles , and has been recorded as having existed in all vice - counties , thriving particularly well in ireland and northern and western regions of great britain , but less so in southern and eastern areas . in the mires of northern ireland and the south pennines , it considered a ruderal , pioneer and keystone species , because it can quickly colonise and repair damaged or eroded peat , encourage the re - vegetation of its surroundings , and retain sediment and its landscape to serve as a carbon sink . in central and southern counties of england , the species is rare or absent , and was " completely destroyed " in cambridgeshire , the broads , the fens and other parts of the east of england by human activities such as land reclamation . within the british isles , e. angustifolium thrives at a range of altitudes from sea - level fens and lowland meadows , to exposed upland moors when provided with a habitat of acid bog or waterlogged heath . it has an altitudinal limit of 1 , 100 metres ( 3 , 600 ft ) above sea level , reaching 854 metres ( 2 , 802 ft ) in the wicklow mountains of ireland , and 1 , 060 metres ( 3 , 480 ft ) in the scottish highlands . ecology eriophorum angustifolium is a hardy , herbaceous , rhizomatous , perennial plant , meaning that it is resilient to cold and freezing climatic conditions , dies back at the end of its growing season , has creeping , and lives for over two years . it grows vigorously from seed over a period of 2 – 5 years , and thrives particularly well in freshly disturbed , cut or eroded peat . e. angustifolium is protogynous . sexual reproduction in eriophorum angustifolium begins with flowering in spring or early summer ( in or around may ) , when groups of 3 – 5 brown flowers are produced . fertilisation usually takes place in may or june , via ( wind - pollination ) , and the white bristle - like perianth , composed of with pappi ( seeds with hairs ) then grows outwards to appear like short tufts of cotton thread . these pappi endure well into summer , lasting from around june to september . like the pappus of taraxacum ( dandelions ) , this aids in wind - dispersal , and also serves as thermal insulation , conserving the temperature of the plant 's reproductive organs by trapping solar radiation . conservation eriophorum angustifolium has a natureserve conservation status of g5 , meaning that the species is considered to be ecologically secure by natureserve , lacking any threats to its global abundance . in human culture eriophorum angustifolium seeds and stems are edible and are used in traditional native american cuisine by alaska natives , inuit and inupiat people . the leaves and roots of e. angustifolium are also edible and , because of their astringent properties , used by the yupik peoples for medicinal purposes , through a process of decoction , infusion or poultice , to treat of the human gastrointestinal tract , and in the old world for the treatment of diarrhoea . in abundance , e. angustifolium can grow with enough density to disguise wetland and bog . consequently , it may be used as a natural indicator of areas which are hazardous and to avoid travelling through . attempts to make a cotton - like thread from the hairs of the plant 's seed - heads have been thwarted by its brittleness , but it has been used in the production of paper and candle wicks in germany , and was used as a feather substitute in pillow stuffing in sweden and sussex , england . in scotland , during world war i , it was used to dress wounds . in 2002 , the county flowers campaign of plantlife international , which asked members of the public to nominate and vote for a wildflower emblem for each of the counties and metropolitan areas of the united kingdom , resulted in eriophorum angustifolium being announced as the county flower of greater manchester . taxonomy the species was named eriophorum angustifolium in 1782 by the german botanist gerhard august . the german botanist albrecht wilhelm roth published this name in 1788 , referring to 's work , and is sometimes erroneously considered the author of the species name . the genus name eriophorum consists of two ancient greek roots – ( , " wool " ) and ( , " " ) – referring to the fibrous seed - heads of the genus , which resemble tufts of thread . the specific epithet angustifolium is composed of the latin words angustus ( " narrow " ) and folium ( " leaf " ) . the linnaean name eriophorum is a nomen , being based on a mixed batch of specimens . scirpus is a later combination published by the japanese botanist tetsuo koyama in 1958 , but this generic assignment is not widely accepted . two subspecies are recognised within e. angustifolium . the subspecies , e. angustifolium subsp. angustifolium , is found in more southerly sites , while e. angustifolium subsp. triste has an overlapping distribution centred further north . the two also differ in height and the roughness of the peduncles , with e. a. subsp. angustifolium being up to 100 cm ( 39 in ) tall and having smooth - surfaced peduncles , while e. a. subsp. triste has rough peduncles and only reaches 30 cm ( 12 in ) tall . in english , e. angustifolium is known by a variety of common names ( with various spellings ) , including common cottongrass , common cotton - grass , common , tassel cotton grass , many - headed cotton - grass , thin - scale cotton - grass , tall cotton - grass , downy ling and bog cotton . cultivation although " difficult to grow under cultivation " , the royal horticultural society states eriophorum angustifolium can be cultivated as a low - maintenance wildflower , suitable for meadows , ponds margins or bog gardens . this may be done in sheltered or exposed terrain , but best accomplished with full sun at a or west - facing aspect , in water up to 5 centimetres ( 2 . 0 in ) deep . poorly - drained peat , sand , clay or loam with an acidic soil ph is required . division in spring is the recommended form of propagation for the species , and regular deadheading is the recommended method of pruning . and myrica gale are suitable for companion planting with e. angustifolium . eriophorum angustifolium is " generally pest free " . as a seedling and young plant it is eaten by sheep and cattle , and a variety of goose species . it is tolerant to chalybeate ( iron - enriched ) water , but may succumb to powdery .