Luzula
Luzula subg. Anthelaea
hairy wood rush, wood rush
round.
absent.
sheaths closed, without auricles at throat (junction with blade), usually pilose;
blade flat or channeled, never septate, margins with long, soft, multicellular hairs, apex often thickened (callous), veins commonly indistinct.
apex generally not callous.
terminal;
flowers inserted individually or in dense clusters (glomerules) variously arranged;
bracts subtending inflorescence (proximal inflorescence bracts) 2, mostly leaflike;
bracts subtending inflorescence branches 1–2, reduced;
bracteoles subtending flowers 2–3.
paniculate or dichasial.
tepals 6, in 2 whorls;
stamens 6.
in pairs, rarely in clusters of 3–4 or solitary.
1-locular, generally globose;
beak often formed by persistent style base.
3, globose to ovoid, base often with tuft of fibrous hairs (vestige of funiculus);
nutritive appendage from outer seed coat (caruncle) often present, white, barely visible to ± equaling seed body.
micropylar end with tuft of hairs;
caruncle barely visible or absent.
= 6.
Luzula
Luzula subg. Anthelaea
The leaves of Luzula are primarily basal; cauline leaves are usually reduced.
Luzula species have diffuse centromeres and small chromosomes. That has resulted in much confusion in interpretation and reporting of chromosome counts. No attempt has been made to include reported counts that could not reasonably be verified by the author.
Excluded species: Luzula sudetica (Willdenow) de Candolle. Although reports of this European species appear frequently in the North American literature, I have seen no specimens that confirm its presence. No chromosome counts are published for North American material. Since this species has a distinct cytotype, 2n = 48 (H. Nordenskiöld 1956), it should not be difficult to verify on this basis.
Species ca. 108 (23 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Species 20+ ca. 50 (6 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Flowers in dense clusters (glomerules); inflorescences spikelike or umbellate; seeds with caruncle conspicuous to barely visible | subg. Luzula |
1. Flowers solitary or in small clusters of 2–4; inflorescences mostly unbranched or dichasial; seeds with caruncle conspicuous to absent. | → 2 |
2. Flowers solitary; inflorescences corymbose, rarely branching; seeds with caruncle conspicuous | subg. Pterodes |
2. Flowers mostly in pairs, rarely in clusters of 3–4, or solitary; inflorescences paniculate or dichasial; seeds with caruncle inconspicuous or absent | subg. Anthelaea |
1. Tepals whitish to pinkish | subsp. luzuloides |
1. Tepals straw-colored to dark brown. | → 2 |
2. Apex of tepals long-acuminate, reflexed; inflorescence branches widely spreading to 90°, stiff | L. divaricata |
2. Apex of tepals acute, not reflexed; inflorescence branches spreading less than 90°, lax. | → 3 |
3. Tepals 2.5–3.5 mm; capsule ± equaling tepal length, ovoid, distinct beak to 1 mm | L. hitchcockii |
3. Tepals 2.5 mm or shorter; capsule shorter than 2.5 mm, never ovoid, distinct beak absent. | → 4 |
4. Culms commonly (20–)30–100 cm; margins of inflorescence bracts and bracteoles entire to lacerate | L. parviflora |
4. Culms commonly less than 30 cm; margins of inflorescence bracts and bracteoles ciliate. | → 5 |
5. Proximal inflorescence bract to 1 cm; stigmas 2 times style length; seeds dark reddish brown | L. wahlenbergii |
5. Proximal inflorescence bract 0.8–1.5 cm; stigmas 5 times style length; seeds light yellow-brown | L. piperi |
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CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
PNW Herbaria 
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USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
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