Trichophorum is a genus of flowering plants in the sedge family Cyperaceae, placed within the order Cyperales. Commonly called deergrasses in Britain and sometimes referred to as bulrushes in North America, these plants are grass-like perennial herbs typical of wet, boggy, and montane habitats across temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
Members of the genus are characterised by the slender, often tufted or mat-forming habit associated with the wider sedge family. Approximately 20 species are currently accepted by Plants of the World Online (as of February 2024), ranging from well-known cool-climate species such as Trichophorum cespitosum (the tufted deergrass, widespread across Europe and northern North America) and Trichophorum alpinum (alpine cottongrass-like sedge of Arctic and alpine zones) to less commonly encountered taxa distributed across Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
The genus has at times been treated as part of Scirpus (bulrushes), but molecular and morphological studies have supported its recognition as a distinct genus within Cyperaceae.
Etymology
The name Trichophorum derives from Greek trichos (hair) and phoros (bearing), referring to the hair-like bristles or bracts associated with the flower spikelets — a feature shared with related genera in Cyperaceae.
Distribution
Trichophorum species occur across temperate and boreal zones of the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe, northern Asia, and North America, with some species extending into montane regions further south. Trichophorum cespitosum is one of the most widespread, found in blanket bogs and wet heathland across Britain, Scandinavia, and northern North America.
Ecology
Species of Trichophorum are characteristic plants of wet, acidic, nutrient-poor habitats including blanket bogs, fens, wet heaths, and alpine tundra. They often grow alongside Sphagnum mosses, Eriophorum (cottongrasses), and other sedges, contributing to peat-forming plant communities.
