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Eurasian woodrush, pale European wood rush

arctic wood rush

Rhizomes

thickened.

Culms

cespitose, 9–35 cm.

densely cespitose, 5-20 cm.

Leaves

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

sheaths brown to straw-colored;

basal leaves to 10 cm × 4 mm;

cauline leaves usually 2, reduced.

Inflorescences

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.

glomerules 1-3, sessile;

proximal inflorescence bract inconspicuous, brown, much shorter to ± equaling inflorescence, apex often clear, dentate;

bracts deep brown, margins dentate;

bracteoles deep brown, margins dentate.

Flowers

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.

tepals deep brown with narrow clear margins and apex, 1.7-2.1 mm;

anthers ± equaling filament length.

Capsules

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

dark reddish to blackish, shining, spheric, 1.8-2.1 mm, usually exceeding tepals.

Seeds

translucent brown, ellipsoid, 0.7–1 mm;

caruncle 0.2–0.3 mm.

translucent, clear brown, broadly elliptic, with few entangled hairs, 1-1.2 mm.

2n

= 12.

= 24.

Luzula pallidula

Luzula arctica

Phenology Flowering and fruiting early–late summer. Flowering and fruiting summer.
Habitat Moist to wet woods, grassy places, and clearings on rocky places and barrens Wet, stony places on slopes and in dwarf shrub heaths in alpine and arctic tundra; circumpolar.
Elevation 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft) 0-1200 m (0-3900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NY; VT; NB; NF; QC; Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; BC; LB; MB; NT; NU; QC; YT; Greenland; Eurasia
Discussion

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, p. 263.
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. kjellmaniana, L. luzuloides, L. multiflora, L. orestera, L. parviflora, L. piperi, L. rufescens, L. spicata, L. subcapitata, L. subcongesta, L. wahlenbergii
L. acuminata, 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
Synonyms Juncus pallescens, L. pallescens L. nivalis
Name authority Kirschner: Taxon 39: 110. (1990) Blytt: in M. N. Blytt and A. G. Blytt, Norges Flora 1: 299. (1861)
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