Luzula comosa var. laxa

From Puget Prairie Plants
  • Scientific Name: Luzula comosa var. laxa
  • Family: Juncaceae
  • Common Names: Pacific woodrush
  • Synonyms/Misapplications: Luzula intermedia, Luzula multiflora subsp. comosa
  • Codon: LUZCOM

Photo by Robert L. Carr, also featured on Main Page

Taxonomy

Luzula comosa var. laxa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Subkingdom: Viridiplantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Spermatophytina
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Lilianae
Order: Poales
Family: Juncaceae
Genus: Luzula DC.
Species: Luzula comosa E. Mey
Subspecies: Luzula comosa var. laxa Buchenau (not accepted)
Synonyms
  • Luzula intermedia (Thuill.) A. Nelson
  • Luzula multiflora ssp. comosa (E. Mey.) Hultén
  • Luzula comosa var. congesta (Thuill.) S. Watson
  • Luzula multiflora var. comosa (E. Mey.) H. St. John

[1]

Description

Native tufted perennial, reaching 1-4 dm in height.

Leaves are grass-like, reddish to green, with long, fine hairs along leaf margin.

Inflorescence consists of 1 to 6 brownish glomerules (a condensed, headlike, cluster of flowers). The individual flowers consist of 6 membranous pallid, brownish tepals. Luzula comosa var. laxa generally has a more open, subumbellate inflorescence than Luzula comosa var. comosa, which has a tighter capitate inflorescence.

Juncaceae family members are differentiated from grasses in that they typically feature round stems, without nodes. [2][3]

Bloom Period

April to July[2]

Distribution

BC to California, along both sides of Cascades, east to Alberta, Montana, Utah, and New Mexico.[3]

Habitat

Openings, rocky slopes, forest, and shores, coastal to montane.[3]

Seed

Seed sample from: 2008

Average Measurement: 1.5 x 0.9 x 0.9

Measurement Range: L: 1.2 – 1.8, W: 0.8 – 1, D:0.8 – 1

Features

Shape: Seeds have prominent white caruncle. Seed mostly round except for a slightly pointed tapering at hilum and opposite apex.

Color: Seed coat is white over a dark reddish brown seed body.

Surface: On one side of seed there is a cloudy white line that crosses from hilum to opposite apex. Seed is lustrous and marked with many fine longitudinal lines.

Latitudinal Cross Section: elliptical Luzula lat.png

Longitudinal Cross Section: elliptical Luzula long.png

Photo Gallery

References

  1. Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved from https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=39339#null
  2. 2.0 2.1 Bowcutt, F., & Hamman, Sarah. (2016). Vascular plants of the South Sound prairies (First ed.). Olympia, Washington: The Evergreen State College Press.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Hitchcock, C. L., Cronquist, A., Giblin, D., & Legler, B. et al. (2018). Flora of the Pacific Northwest: an illustrated manual. Seattle: University of Washington Press.