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Wahlenberg's wood rush

fork wood rush

Rhizomes

short.

thick.

Culms

cespitose, 15–30(–35) cm.

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

Leaves

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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, less than 2.5 mm, slightly longer than tepals;

beak absent.

deep reddish brown, shorter to slightly longer than tepals.

Seeds

dark reddish brown, cylindric, 1.2–1.6 mm;

caruncle essentially absent.

light brown, 1.2 mm.

2n

= 24.

Luzula wahlenbergii

Luzula divaricata

Phenology Flowering and fruiting late summer. Flowering and fruiting summer.
Habitat Wet mossy arctic and alpine tundra, lake shores, alluvial rivers, shores of alpine creeks, gneissic seashores Subalpine forest to alpine granitic slopes
Elevation 40–600 m (100–2000 ft) 2100–3700 m (6900–12100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; BC; MB; NT; NU; QC; YT; Greenland; Eurasia
[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. piperi, L. rufescens, L. spicata, L. subcapitata, L. subcongesta
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
Name authority Ruprecht: Fl. Samojed. Cisural. 58. (1845) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14:302. (1879)
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