JUNCACEAE

RUSH FAMILY

Janice Coffey Swab

Annual, perennial herb, generally from rhizomes
Stem round or flat
Leaves generally mostly basal; sheath margins fused, or overlapping and generally with 2 ear-like extensions at blade junction; blade round, flat, or vestigial, glabrous or margin hairy
Inflorescence: head-like clusters or single flowers, variously arranged; bracts subtending inflorescence 2, generally leaf-like; bracts subtending inflorescence branches 1–2, reduced; bractlets subtending flowers generally 1–2, generally translucent
Flower generally bisexual, radial; sepals and petals similar, persistent, green to brown or purplish black; stamens generally 3 or 6, anthers linear, persistent; pistil 1, ovary superior, chambers generally 1 or 3, placentas 1 and basal or 3 and axile or parietal, stigmas generally > style
Fruit: capsule, loculicidal
Seeds 3–many, often with white appendages on 1 or both ends
Genera in family: 9 genera, 325 species: temp, arctic, tropical mtns. Fls late spring to early fall.

LUZULA

HAIRY WOOD RUSH

Perennial; rhizome often short, vertical
Stem round
Leaves mostly basal, reduced upward; sheath closed; margin and sheath opening generally with long, soft hairs; blades flat or channeled, veins indistinct, tips often thick
Inflorescence: head-like clusters or panicles of separate flowers; bractlets 1–3, margins often hairy
Flower: stamens 6; pistil 1, chamber 1, placenta basal
Seeds 3, plump, elliptic, often with a distinct ridge, sometimes attached to placenta by tuft of hairs
Species in genus: 80 species: worldwide, especially n hemisphere
Etymology: (Latin: light; Italian: glowworm)
When present, fleshy seed appendage (outer seed coat) adapts large seeds to ant dispersal.

Native

L. orestera Sharsm.

Plant densely cespitose, stiffly erect, 3–26 cm
Stem reddish brown
Leaves many, overlapping; blade 2.5–7 cm, 2–5 mm wide, firm, mostly glabrous, tip thickened, reddish
Inflorescence: 1–5 clusters, appearing as single pyramidal inflorescence, 5–10 mm wide, sometimes with 1–2 smaller clusters on short peduncles; lowest bract < to > inflorescence, generally stiff, reddish; bractlets clear
Flower: perianth segments 2–3 mm (sepals slightly > petals), very dark, margins clear; filaments generally = anthers
Fruit << perianth, dark brown to black in upper portion
Seed 0.8 mm, oval; appendage ± 0.2 mm
Chromosomes: 2n=20,22
Ecology: Alpine and subalpine meadows, fell-fields
Elevation: 2700–3600 m.
Bioregional distribution: High Sierra Nevada
Horticultural information: IRR: 1 &SHD: 2, 3, 7, 15, 16, 18; DFCLT.