The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Piper's wood-rush, smooth woodrush

fork wood rush

Rhizomes

horizontal, short.

thick.

Culms

densely cespitose, 10–30(–35) cm.

densely cespitose, reddish, 6–30 cm × 2 mm.

Leaves

basal blade green, 5–10 cm × 2–4 mm, firm, essentially glabrous;

cauline leaves 2–3, 3–7 cm × 3–5 mm.

basal leaves numerous, blade to 20 cm × 4–6 mm, sometimes longer than stem, apex long-pointed to 12 mm, mostly glabrous;

cauline leaves 2–3.

Inflorescences

branches spreading less than 90°, lax;

proximal inflorescence bract leaflike, 0.8–1.5 cm;

bracts and bracteoles brown, clear at apex, margins strongly ciliate.

5–15 cm, width 1/2 to equaling length;

branches widely spreading to 90°, stiff, not drooping;

proximal bract inconspicuous, less than 2 cm;

bracts and bracteoles clear, margins slightly lacerate, often with a few cilia.

Flowers

single or in clusters of 2–3;

tepals dark brown, 1–2.5 mm, ± equal, apex acute, not reflexed;

anthers ± equaling filament length;

stigmas 5 times style length.

solitary;

tepals pale brown with reddish tint, 1.8–2.4 mm, apex reflexed, long-acuminate;

outer whorl slightly longer than inner whorl;

anthers ± equaling filaments;

stigmas 3 times style length.

Capsules

dark brown, ellipsoid, shorter than 2.5 mm, longer than tepals;

beak absent.

deep reddish brown, shorter to slightly longer than tepals.

Seeds

light yellow-brown, lanceolate, narrowed at ends, 1.2 mm.

light brown, 1.2 mm.

2n

= 24.

Luzula piperi

Luzula divaricata

Phenology Flowering and fruiting summer. Flowering and fruiting summer.
Habitat Snowbeds and mesic heaths in subalpine and oceanic zones Subalpine forest to alpine granitic slopes
Elevation 400–2400 m (1300–7900 ft) 2100–3700 m (6900–12100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; ID; MT; OR; WA; AB; BC; YT; e Asia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The culms of Luzula divaricata are reddish colored.

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

Source FNA vol. 22. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Juncaceae > Luzula > subg. Anthelaea Juncaceae > Luzula > subg. Anthelaea
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. pallidula, L. parviflora, 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. 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 Juncoides piperi, L. wahlenbergii subsp. piperi
Name authority (Coville) M. E. Jones: Bull. Biol. Ser. Bull. State Univ. Montana 15: 22. (1910) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14:302. (1879)
Web links