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hairy wood rush

Eurasian woodrush, pale European wood rush

Rhizomes

similar to stolons.

thickened.

Culms

loosely cespitose, 10–40 cm × width3–5 mm.

cespitose, 9–35 cm.

Stolons

to 6 cm, scale leaves present.

Leaves

sheaths reddish, throat pilose;

blade sparsely pubescent;

basal leaves 32 cm × 12 mm;

cauline leaves 2–4, 2–4 cm × 2–5 mm.

basal leaves 6–11.5 cm × 1.5–4 mm, apex not callous, sparingly ciliate.

Inflorescences

cymose, not rarely branching or often branching to 6 cm;

proximal inflorescence bract 1/2–2/3 inflorescence length;

bracts straw-colored, apex truncate, lacerate, glabrous or pubescent;

bracteoles lance-ovate, 1/3–1/2 tepal length;

pedicels single or paired, erect to spreading, 1–4 cm.

umbellate-paniculate;

glomerules 4–30 (each with 9–24 flowers), central glomerules sessile or nearly sessile, cylindric, 6–10 × 4 mm;

branches straight, erect, to 3 cm;

proximal inflorescence bract conspicuous, leaflike, equal to much longer than inflorescence;

bracts clear, sometimes variegated with purple;

bracteole margins dentate to lacerate.

Flowers

tepals pale to dark brown, 3–4.5 mm, margins entire, clear;

anthers 2 times filament length;

stigmas ± equaling style length.

tepals clear to straw-colored throughout or centers brown with clear margins and apex, 1.5–2.6 mm;

outer whorl exceeding inner whorl, (outer whorl apex awned);

anthers equaling to 1.5 times filament length.

Capsules

green to straw-colored, exceeding tepals;

beak a mucro;

valves widely spreading upon splitting.

light or dark reddish, shining, spheric, usually equaling inner tepal whorl.

Seeds

reddish to brown, 1–1.5 mm;

caruncle curved, ± equaling length of seed body.

translucent brown, ellipsoid, 0.7–1 mm;

caruncle 0.2–0.3 mm.

2n

= 48.

= 12.

Luzula acuminata

Luzula pallidula

Phenology Flowering and fruiting early–late summer.
Habitat Moist to wet woods, grassy places, and clearings on rocky places and barrens
Elevation 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft)
Distribution
from USDA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NY; VT; NB; NF; QC; Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Basal leaves of Luzula pallidula are sparingly ciliate.

For discussion of the change of the widely known name for this species, see J. Kirschner (1990).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Inflorescences simple, with occasional branch from near base of flower
var. acuminata
1. Inflorescences usually branching, with pedicels commonly paired
Luzula acuminata var. carolinae
Source FNA vol. 22, p. 256. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Juncaceae > Luzula > subg. Pterodes Juncaceae > Luzula > subg. Luzula
Sibling taxa
L. arctica, L. arcuata, L. bulbosa, L. campestris, L. comosa, L. confusa, L. divaricata, L. echinata, L. groenlandica, L. hitchcockii, L. kjellmaniana, L. luzuloides, L. multiflora, L. orestera, L. pallidula, L. parviflora, L. piperi, L. rufescens, L. spicata, L. subcapitata, L. subcongesta, L. wahlenbergii
L. acuminata, L. arctica, L. arcuata, L. bulbosa, L. campestris, L. comosa, L. confusa, L. divaricata, L. echinata, L. groenlandica, L. hitchcockii, L. kjellmaniana, L. luzuloides, L. multiflora, L. orestera, L. parviflora, L. piperi, L. rufescens, L. spicata, L. subcapitata, L. subcongesta, L. wahlenbergii
Subordinate taxa
L. acuminata var. acuminata
Synonyms Juncus pallescens, L. pallescens
Name authority Rafinesque: Autikon Botanikon 3: 193. (1840) Kirschner: Taxon 39: 110. (1990)
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