Eriophorum gracile W.D.J.Koch ex Roth

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Herbarium
South Dakota State University
Flora of South Dakota
Eriophorum gracile Koch
Roberts County: Ortley Township T122N R52W Section 8 E2 NE4 SE4 SE4
The site is approximately 2 miles north-northeast of the town of Ortley. A
100+ acre rich fen occurs in a drainageway and is divided by a gravel road.
It is dominated by Carex spp. plus Salix bebbiana and Salix discolor (The
Salix occurs as scattered clumps to dense thickets). Much of the fen is a
floating mat which in places is too thin to hold the weight of an adult. The
county soil survey calls the soil here Rauville mucky silt loam, 0 to 2 percent
slopes (Ra), a calcareous Cumulic Haplaquoll. This soil formed in silty
alluvium washed from adjacent soils. However, the soil in the fen is a muck,
some type of medisaprist. The fen is on the Prairie Coteau.
There were 500+ ramets and many were in fruit. The fruits had white
bristles. Eriophorum gracile was associated with Carex aquatilis, Carex
prairea, Carex utriculata, Eupatorium maculatum Lysimachia thyrsiflora,
Rumex orbiculatus and Salix Candida.
This is only the third record for Eriophorum gracile in South Dakota and a
county record. This is only the second extant site for Eriophorum gracile in
the state, with the other site occurring in Todd County in southwest South
Dakota.
Mark J. Leoschke 1541
30 June 1995
Collected for the Prairie Coteau Natural Areas Inventory
02844676