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spike wood-rush

Wahlenberg's wood rush

Rhizomes

short.

Culms

densely cespitose, reddish, 3–33 cm, base thick, extending 1–8 cm into soil.

cespitose, 15–30(–35) cm.

Leaves

sheath throats densely hairy;

basal leaves erect, channeled, linear, 2–15 cm × 1–4 mm, apex not callous;

cauline leaves 2–3.

sheath throat acutely angled, pilose;

basal leaf blade 5–10 cm × 3–8 mm, apex short acuminate, mostly glabrous;

cauline leaves (1–)2–4, 3–5 cm × 2–4 mm.

Inflorescences

panicles of dense, nodding, spikelike clusters (each 1–25 mm), often interrupted by 10–70 mm;

proximal inflorescence bract conspicuous, generally exceeding inflorescence;

bracts clear;

bracteoles clear, margins ciliate, apex narrow, extended.

anthelate, few flowered;

main branches generally 2–4, spreading less than 90°, lax, usually arching;

proximal inflorescence bract 1 cm or less;

bracts and bracteoles brown;

margins with long curly cilia.

Flowers

tepals brown with clear margins or very pale throughout (outer whorl bristle-pointed), 2–2.5 mm;

outer whorl longer than inner whorl;

anthers ± equaling filaments.

solitary on short pedicels;

tepals dark purplish brown (margins finely lacerate toward apex), 2–2.5 mm, margins finely lacerate toward apex, apex acute, not reflexed;

anthers ± equaling filament length;

stigmas 2 times style length.

Capsules

pale to dark brown or blackish, round (apex ± acute), generally shorter than tepals, apex ± acute.

dark brown, less than 2.5 mm, slightly longer than tepals;

beak absent.

Seeds

brown, cylindric-ovoid, body 1–1.2 mm;

caruncle 0.2 mm.

dark reddish brown, cylindric, 1.2–1.6 mm;

caruncle essentially absent.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Luzula spicata

Luzula wahlenbergii

Phenology Flowering and fruiting summer. Flowering and fruiting late summer.
Habitat Alpine slopes and heaths, dry or damp situations among grasses, herbs, or lichens, and in subalpine forests Wet mossy arctic and alpine tundra, lake shores, alluvial rivers, shores of alpine creeks, gneissic seashores
Elevation 0–3700 m (0–12100 ft) 40–600 m (100–2000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; CO; ID; ME; MT; NH; NM; NV; NY; OR; UT; VT; WA; WY; AB; BC; MB; NL; NT; NU; QC; YT; SPM; Circumpolar; Greenland; Eurasia
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from FNA
AK; BC; MB; NT; NU; QC; YT; Greenland; Eurasia
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The culms of Luzula spicata are thick and reddish with bases extending 1–8 cm into the soil; sheath throats are densely hairy; basal leaves are erect, linear, and channeled; inflorescence bracts are conspicuous and often exceed glomerules; and bracteoles have narrow and extended apices.

(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. 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. piperi, L. rufescens, 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. pallidula, L. parviflora, L. piperi, L. rufescens, L. spicata, L. subcapitata, L. subcongesta
Synonyms Juncus spicatus
Name authority (Linnaeus) de Candolle: in J. Lamarck and A. P. de Candolle, Fl. France, ed. 3 1: 161. (1805) Ruprecht: Fl. Samojed. Cisural. 58. (1845)
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