broad-leaved cottongrass vs Common Cotton-Grass

Eriophorum latifolium compared with Eriophorum angustifolium

Key Differences

• broad-leaved cottongrass is Critically Endangered while Common Cotton-Grass is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	broad-leaved cottongrass	Common Cotton-Grass
Kingdom same	Plantae (planta)	Plantae (planta)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Liliopsida (Monocots)
Order same	Poales (Grasses)	Poales (Grasses)
Family same	Cyperaceae	Cyperaceae
Genus same	Eriophorum	Eriophorum
Species	Eriophorum latifolium	Eriophorum angustifolium

Evolutionary Relationship

broad-leaved cottongrass and Common Cotton-Grass share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Eriophorum.

Conservation Status

broad-leaved cottongrass

CR — Critically Endangered

Common Cotton-Grass

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	broad-leaved cottongrass	Common Cotton-Grass
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

broad-leaved cottongrass

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Cotton-Grass

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

broad-leaved cottongrass

The Broad-Leaved Cottongrass (Eriophorum latifolium) is a species in the genus Eriophorum. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Common Cotton-Grass

<em>Eriophorum angustifolium</em>, commonly known as common cotton grass or many-stalked cottongrass, is a perennial sedge in the family Cyperaceae. It is distributed across peatlands, bogs, fens, and wet moorlands of Europe and North America, where it is often a dominant and ecologically significant species. Common cotton grass is easily recognized by its distinctive fluffy white seed heads, which resemble balls of cotton and appear conspicuously across boggy landscapes in late spring and summer. These cotton-like structures are modified perianth bristles that aid in wind dispersal of seeds. The species plays a vital role in peatland ecosystems as a peat-forming plant and provides food and nesting material for various wetland birds. It is assessed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, reflecting ongoing habitat loss due to peatland drainage, agricultural conversion, and climate change. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden