How do the long bristles of cotton grasses help disperse seeds?

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Sedge — Cyperaceae Spikes of sedge (*Carex pendula*).

In the Cyperaceae family, the long, silky bristles found in the genus Eriophorum (commonly known as cotton grass) function as a specialized mechanism for wind dispersal. These bristles act as parachutes, allowing the seeds to be carried by the wind to new locations.1