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Photo is of parent taxon

common woodrush, many-flower wood-rush

common wood-rush, many-flower wood-rush

Culms

densely to loosely cespitose, 10–40 cm.

Leaves

basal leaves 3.5–12 cm × 2–6 mm;

cauline leaves equaling or exceeding inflorescences.

Cauline leaves

2–3, not or only barely overlapping;

proximal inflorescence bract equal to barely exceeding inflorescence.

Inflorescences

glomerules 3–16 (each with 8–16 flowers), 1–2 nearly sessile with others on evident peduncles, mostly cylindric;

secondary branches sometimes present, usually straight, erect;

proximal inflorescence bract barely as long as to exceeding inflorescence.

Flowers

tepals pale brown to chestnut brown to blackish with clear margins, 2–4 mm;

outer and inner whorl ± equal, or outer whorl slightly longer (outer whorl pointed, inner whorl pointed or truncate-mucronate);

anthers not more than 2 times filament length;

stigmas 0.8–1.5 mm;

styles not persistent in fruit.

Capsules

pale to brown, shorter than tepals.

pale to brown to black, globose, shorter than to ± equaling tepals.

Seeds

1.1–1.5 mm;

caruncle 0.3–0.6 mm.

1.1–1.7 mm;

caruncles 0.2–0.6 mm.

Tepals

outer and inner whorl straw-colored to brown, 2.8-3.6 mm, apex pointed.

2n

= 24.

Luzula multiflora subsp. multiflora

Luzula multiflora

Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring–summer.
Habitat Sparsely scattered in fields, meadows, open woods, ditches and clearings
Elevation 50–800 m (200–2600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SD; TN; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK; SPM; Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SD; TN; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Eurasia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Many names have been applied to members of this variable complex throughout the range of this flora. No monograph is yet available to enable a satisfactory treatment.

Subspecies 6 (3 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Tepals of outer and inner whorls not similar, outer whorl pointed, inner whorl truncate-mucronate; dark brown to chestnut to blackish
subsp. frigida
1. Tepals of outer and inner whorls similar, pointed, straw-colored to chestnut.
→ 2
2. Tepals straw-colored to brown; cauline leaves not or only barely overlapping; proximal inflorescence bract equal to or barely exceeding inflorescence
subsp. multiflora
2. Tepals chestnut; cauline leaves greatly overlapping; proximal inflorescence bract well exceeding inflorescence
subsp. kobayasii
Source FNA vol. 22. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Juncaceae > Luzula > subg. Luzula > Luzula multiflora Juncaceae > Luzula > subg. Luzula
Sibling taxa
L. multiflora subsp. frigida, L. multiflora subsp. kobayasii
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. orestera, L. pallidula, L. parviflora, L. piperi, L. rufescens, L. spicata, L. subcapitata, L. subcongesta, L. wahlenbergii
Subordinate taxa
L. multiflora subsp. frigida, L. multiflora subsp. kobayasii, L. multiflora subsp. multiflora
Synonyms L. multiflora var. acadiensis Juncus. multiflorus, Juncus. campestris var. multiflorus
Name authority unknown (Ehrhart) Lejeune: Flore des Environs de Spa 1: 169. (1811)
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