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tundra woodrush

Eurasian woodrush, pale European wood rush

Rhizomes

thickened.

Culms

loosely cespitose, light green, 15–25 cm.

cespitose, 9–35 cm.

Leaves

sheaths dull brown-gray at base, becoming green distally, throats hairless;

basal leaves flat toward base, channeled toward apex, 4–16 cm × 3–8 mm, apex abruptly pointed, callous, glabrous.

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

Inflorescences

asymmetric in appearance;

glomerules (1–)2–5, central glomerules sessile or nearly sessile, 3–9 × 2.5–6 mm;

capillary branches 2–8, arched in 1 direction, to 3.5 cm;

proximal inflorescence bract bladeless.

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 brownish translucent (apex lacerate to entire), 2–3 mm, apex lacerate to entire;

anthers equal to or exceeding filaments.

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

light chestnut brown, broadly 3-angled, shorter than tepals.

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

Seeds

most failing to mature, brown (with few hairs present), 3-angled, 0.9–1.1 mm, few hairs present;

caruncle barely visible.

translucent brown, ellipsoid, 0.7–1 mm;

caruncle 0.2–0.3 mm.

2n

= 36.

= 12.

Luzula kjellmaniana

Luzula pallidula

Phenology Flowering and fruiting summer. Flowering and fruiting early–late summer.
Habitat Tundra Moist to wet woods, grassy places, and clearings on rocky places and barrens
Elevation 50–2000 m (200–6600 ft) 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; BC; NT; YT; ne Asia
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NY; VT; NB; NF; QC; Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Luzula kjellmaniana has light green culms, sheath throats essentially without hairs, and glabrous basal leaves that are flat toward the base and channeled toward the apex (the apex is abruptly pointed). Most seeds fail to mature.

(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.)

Source FNA vol. 22. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Juncaceae > Luzula > subg. Luzula Juncaceae > Luzula > subg. Luzula
Sibling taxa
L. acuminata, L. arctica, L. arcuata, L. bulbosa, L. campestris, L. comosa, L. confusa, L. divaricata, L. echinata, L. groenlandica, L. hitchcockii, 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
Synonyms L. beeringiana, L. multiflora subsp. kjellmanniana, L. nivalis var. latifolia, L.uzula tundricola Juncus pallescens, L. pallescens
Name authority Miyabe & Kudo: Transactions of the Sapporo Natural History Society 5: 38. (1913) Kirschner: Taxon 39: 110. (1990)
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