Luzula

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Cladus: Commelinids
Ordo: Poales

Familia: Juncaceae
Genus: Luzula
Species: L. abchasica – L. abyssinica – L. acuminata – L. acutifolia – L. africana – L. alopecurus – L. alpestris – L. alpina – L. alpinopilosa – L. antarctica – L. arcuata – L. atlantica – L. atrata – L. australasica – L. banksiana – L. bomiensis – L. brachyphylla – L. brevispicata – L. bulbosa – L. caespitosa – L. calabra – L. campestris – L. canariensis – L. capitata – L. caricina – L. celata – L. chilensis – L. colensoi – L. comosa – L. confusa – L. congesta – L. crenulata – L. crinita – L. decipiens – L. densiflora – L. denticulata – L. desvauxii – L. divaricata – L. divulgata – L. divulgatiformis – L. echinata – L. ecuadoriensis – L. effusa – L. elegans – L. excelsa – L. exspectata – L. fallax – L. flaccida – L. formosana – L. forsteri – L. gigantea – L. glabrata – L. groenlandica – L. hawaiiensis – L. hitchcockii – L. ignivoma – L. inaequalis – L. indica – L. jimboi – L. johnstonii – L. kjellmaniana – L. kobayasii – L. lactea – L. leiboldii – L. leptophylla – L. longiflora – L. lutea – L. lutescens – L. luzulina – L. luzuloides – L. mannii – L. masafuerana – L. mendocina – L. meridionalis – L. modesta – L. multiflora – L. nipponica – L. nivalis – L. nivea – L. nodulosa – L. novae-cambriae – L. oligantha – L. orestera – L. ostenii – L. ovata – L. pallescens – L. papuana – L. parviflora – L. pedemontana – L. pediformis – L. peruviana – L. philippinensis – L. picta – L. pilosa – L. pindica – L. piperi – L. plumosa – L. poimena – L. pumila – L. purpureosplendens – L. racemosa – L. rufa – L. rufescens – L. ruiz-lealii – L. seubertii – L. spicata – L. stenophylla – L. subcapitata – L. subcongesta – L. subsessilis – L. sudetica – L. sylvatica – L. taiwaniana – L. taurica – L. traversii – L. tristachya – L. ulei – L. ulophylla – L. vulcanica – L. wahlenbergii
Nothospecies: L. × bogdanii – L. × bornmuelleriana – L. × borreri – L. × danica – L. × favratii – L. × gayana – L. × hasleri – L. × heddae – L. × hermannii-muelleri – L. × hybrida – L. × johannis-principis – L. × levieri – L. × media – L. × pfaffii – L. × romanica – L. × sichuanensis – L. × somedana – L. × vinesii – L. × wettsteinii

Check: L. hispanica
Name

Luzula DC. in J.B.A.M.de Lamarck & A.P.de Candolle, Fl. Franç., éd. 3, 3: 158 (1805), nom. cons.

Type species: Luzula campestris (L.) DC., typ. cons.

Synonyms

Homotypic
Juncoides Ség., Pl. Veron. 3: 88 (1754), nom. rej.
Luciola Sm., Engl. Fl. 2: 177 (1824), nom. superfl.
Heterotypic
Pterodes (Griseb.) Börner, Fl. Deut. Volk: 722 (1912), nom. illeg.
Nemorinia Fourr., Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon, n.s., 17: 172 (1869).
Gymnodes (Griseb.) Fourr., Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon, n.s., 17: 172 (1869).
Cyperella J.G.H.Kramer ex MacMill., Metasp. Minnesota Valley: 143 (1892).
Ebingeria Chrtek & Křísa, Preslia 46: 210 (1974).
Type: Ebigeria elegans (Lowe) Chrtek & Křísa

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Europe
Regional: Northern Europe
Denmark, Finland, Føroyar, Great Britain, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Svalbard, Sweden.
Regional: Middle Europe
Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland.
Regional: Southwestern Europe
Corse, France, Portugal, Sardegna, Spain.
Regional: Southeastern Europe
Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Kriti, Romania, Sicilia, Turkey-in-Europe, Yugoslavia.
Regional: Eastern Europe
Belarus, Baltic States, Krym, Central European Russia, East European Russia, North European Russia, South European Russia, Northwest European Russia, Ukraine.
Continental: Africa
Regional: Northern Africa
Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia.
Regional: Macaronesia
Azores, Canary Islands, Madeira.
Regional: West-Central Tropical Africa
Cameroon, Gulf of Guinea Islands, Rwanda, Zaire.
Regional: Northeast Tropical Africa
Chad, Ethiopia.
Regional: East Tropical Africa
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda.
Regional: Southern Africa
Cape Provinces, Lesotho, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Northern Provinces.
Continental: Asia-Temperate
Regional: Siberia
Altay, Buryatiya, Chita, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Tuva, West Siberia, Yakutskiya.
Regional: Russian Far East
Amur, Kamchatka, Khabarovsk, Kuril Islands, Magadan, Primorye, Sakhalin.
Regional: Middle Asia
Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Turkmenistan, Tadzhikistan, Uzbekistan.
Regional: Caucasus
North Caucasus, Transcaucasus.
Regional: Western Asia
Afghanistan, Cyprus, East Aegean Islands, Iran, Lebanon-Syria, Turkey.
Regional: China
China South-Central, Inner Mongolia, Manchuria, China North-Central, Qinghai, China Southeast, Tibet, Xinjiang.
Regional: Mongolia
Mongolia.
Regional: Eastern Asia
Japan, Korea, Nansei-shoto, Taiwan.
Continental: Asia-Tropical
Regional: Indian Subcontinent
East Himalaya, India, Nepal, Pakistan, West Himalaya.
Regional: Indo-China
Myanmar.
Regional: Malesia
Borneo, Philippines, Sulawesi.
Regional: Papuasia
New Guinea.
Continental: Australasia
Regional: Australia
Norfolk Islands, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia.
Regional: New Zealand
Antipodean Islands, Chatham Islands, New Zealand North, New Zealand South.
Continental: Pacific
Regional: North-Central Pacific
Hawaii.
Continental: Northern America
Regional: Subarctic America
Aleutian Islands, Alaska, Greenland, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon.
Regional: Western Canada
Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan.
Regional: Eastern Canada
Labrador, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Québec.
Regional: Northwestern U.S.A.
Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming.
Regional: North-Central U.S.A.
Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin.
Regional: Northeastern U.S.A.
Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia.
Regional: Southwestern U.S.A.
Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah.
Regional: South-Central U.S.A.
New Mexico, Texas.
Regional: Southeastern U.S.A.
Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, District of Columbia.
Regional: Mexico
Mexico Central, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southwest, Mexico Southeast.
Continental: Southern America
Regional: Central America
Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama.
Regional: Northern South America
Venezuela.
Regional: Western South America
Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru.
Regional: Brazil
Brazil Southeast, Brazil South.
Regional: Southern South America
Argentina Northeast, Argentina South, Argentina Northwest, Chile Central, Chile North, Chile South, Juan Fernández Islands, Uruguay.
Continental: Antarctic
Regional: Subantarctic Islands
Falkland Islands, Kerguelen (introduced), Macquarie Islands.

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Lamarck, J.-B. & De Candolle, A.P. 1805. Flore Française, ou descriptions succinctes de toutes les plantes qui croissent naturellement en France. Troisième édition, Tome troisième. 731 pp. Paris: Agasse. BHL Biblioteca Digital Reference page.

Additional references

Kirschner, J. et al. 2002. Juncaceae 1: Rostkovia to Luzula. (Species Plantarum: Flora of the World Part 6). 237 pp., Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. ISBN 0-642-56822-7 PDF (part 1) PDF (part 2) Reference page.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2022. Luzula in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2022 Mar 09. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2022. Luzula. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2022. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2022 Mar 09. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2022. Luzula. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 09 Mar 2022.
International Plant Names Index. 2022. Luzula. Published online. Accessed: Mar 09 2022. Reference page.

Vernacular names
беларуская: Ажыка
suomi: Piipot

Luzula is a genus of flowering plants in the rush family Juncaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, with species occurring throughout the world, especially in temperate regions, the Arctic, and higher elevation areas in the tropics.[2] Plants of the genus are known commonly as wood-rush,[3] wood rush, or woodrush.[4] Possible origins of the genus name include the Italian lucciola ("to shine, sparkle") or the Latin luzulae or luxulae, from lux ("light"), inspired by the way the plants sparkle when wet with dew.[2] Another etymology sometimes given is that it does derive from lucciola but that this meant a mid-summer field, or from the Latin luculus, meaning a small place; the same source also states that this name was applied by Luigi Anguillara (an Italian botanist) in 1561.[5]

These rushes are usually perennial plants with rhizomes and sometimes stolons. They generally form clumps of cylindrical stems and narrow leaves with hair-lined edges. The inflorescence is often a dense cluster of flowers with two leaf-like bracts at the base, or sometimes a solitary flower or a few flowers borne together. They have six brownish tepals.[2][6]

Luzula species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including the smoky wainscot. Several moths of the genus Coleophora have been observed on the plants. Coleophora biforis and C. otidipennella feed exclusively on Luzula. C. antennariella is limited to Luzula pilosa, and C. sylvaticella feeds only on L. sylvatica.

Some species, notably Luzula sylvatica and its cultivars, are used as ornamental garden plants.
Species

There are around 140 species in the genus:[7]

Luzula abchasica Novikov
Luzula abyssinica Parl.
Luzula acuminata Raf.
Luzula acutifolia H. Nordensk.
Luzula africana Drège ex Steud.
Luzula alopecuroides Desv.

Luzula alopecurus Desv.
Luzula alpestris H. Nordensk.
Luzula alpina Hoppe
Luzula alpinopilosa (Chaix) Breistr.
Luzula antarctica Hook. f.
Luzula arcuata (Wahlenb.) Sw.
Luzula atlantica Braun-Blanq.
Luzula atrata Edgar
Luzula australasica Steud.
Luzula banksiana E. Mey.
Luzula × bogdanii Kirschner
Luzula bomiensis K. F. Wu
Luzula × bornmuelleriana Kük.
Luzula × borreri Bromf. ex Bab.
Luzula brachyphylla Phil.
Luzula bulbosa (Alph. Wood) Smyth & L. C. Smyth
Luzula caespitosa (E. Mey.) Steud.
Luzula calabra Ten.
Luzula campestris (L.) DC.
Luzula canariensis Poir.
Luzula capitata (Miq. ex Franch. & Sav.) Kom.
Luzula caricina E. Mey.
Luzula celata Edgar
Luzula chilensis Nees & Meyen ex Kunth
Luzula colensoi Hook. f.
Luzula comosa E. Mey.
Luzula confusa Lindeb.
Luzula congesta (Thuill.) Lej.
Luzula crenulata Buchenau
Luzula crinita Hook. f.
Luzula × danica H. Nordensk. & Kirschner
Luzula decipiens Edgar
Luzula densiflora (H. Nordensk.) Edgar
Luzula denticulata Liebm.
Luzula desvauxii Kunth
Luzula divaricata S. Watson
Luzula divulgata Kirschner
Luzula divulgatiformis Bačič & Jogan
Luzula echinata (Small) F. J. Herm.
Luzula ecuadoriensis Balslev
Luzula effusa Buchenau
Luzula elegans Lowe
Luzula excelsa Buchenau
Luzula exspectata Bačič & Jogan
Luzula fallax Kirschner
Luzula × favratii K. Richt.
Luzula flaccida (Buchenau) Edgar
Luzula formosana Ohwi
Luzula forsteri (Sm.) DC.
Luzula × gayana Font Quer & Rothm.
Luzula gigantea Desv.
Luzula glabrata (Hoppe) Desv.
Luzula groenlandica Böcher
Luzula × hasleri Murr
Luzula hawaiiensis Buchenau
Luzula × heddae Kirschner
Luzula × hermannii-muelleri Asch. & Graebn.
Luzula hitchcockii Hämet-Ahti
Luzula × hybrida H. Lindb. ex Kirschner
Luzula ignivoma Kirschner
Luzula inaequalis K. F. Wu
Luzula indica Kirschner
Luzula jimboi Miyabe & Kudo
Luzula × johannis-principis Murr
Luzula johnstonii Buchenau
Luzula kjellmaniana Miyabe & Kudo
Luzula kobayasii Satake
Luzula lactea (Link) E. Mey.
Luzula leiboldii Buchenau
Luzula leptophylla Buchenau & Petrie
Luzula × levieri Asch. & Graebn.
Luzula longiflora Benth.
Luzula lutea (All.) DC.
Luzula lutescens (Koidz.) Kirschner & Miyam.
Luzula luzulina (Vill.) Racib.
Luzula luzuloides (Lam.) Dandy & Wilmott
Luzula mannii (Buchenau) Kirschner & Cheek
Luzula masafuerana Skottsb.
Luzula × media Kirschner
Luzula melanocarpa Desv.
Luzula mendocina Barros
Luzula meridionalis H. Nordensk.
Luzula modesta Buchenau
Luzula multiflora (Ehrh.) Lej.
Luzula nipponica (Satake) Kirschner & Miyam.
Luzula nivalis (Laest.) Spreng.
Luzula nivea (Nathh.) DC.
Luzula nodulosa E. Mey.
Luzula novae-cambriae Gand.
Luzula oligantha Sam.
Luzula orestera Sharsm.
Luzula ostenii (Mattf.) Herter
Luzula ovata Edgar
Luzula pallescens Sw.
Luzula papuana M. E. Jansen
Luzula parviflora (Ehrh.) Desv.
Luzula pedemontana Boiss. & Reut.
Luzula pediformis (Chaix) DC.
Luzula peruviana Desv.
Luzula × pfaffii Murr
Luzula philippinensis M. E. Jansen
Luzula picta A. Rich.
Luzula pilosa (L.) Willd.
Luzula pindica (Hausskn.) Chrtek & Krísa
Luzula piperi (Coville) M. E. Jones
Luzula plumosa E. Mey.
Luzula poimena W. M. Curtis
Luzula pumila Hook. f.
Luzula purpureosplendens Seub.
Luzula racemosa Desv.
Luzula × romanica J. Dvorák & Vorel
Luzula rufa Edgar
Luzula rufescens Fisch. ex E. Mey.
Luzula ruiz-lealii Barros
Luzula seubertii Lowe
Luzula × sichuanensis K. F. Wu
Luzula × somedana Fern-Carv. & Fern. Prieto
Luzula spicata (L.) DC.
Luzula stenophylla Steud.
Luzula subcapitata (Rydb.) H. D. Harr.
Luzula subcongesta (S. Watson) Jeps.
Luzula subsessilis (S. Watson) Buchenau
Luzula sudetica (Willd.) Schult.
Luzula sylvatica (Huds.) Gaudin
Luzula taiwaniana Satake
Luzula taurica (V. I. Krecz.) Novikov
Luzula traversii (Buchenau) Cheeseman
Luzula tristachya Desv.
Luzula ulei Buchenau
Luzula ulophylla (Buchenau) Cockayne & Laing
Luzula × vinesii Murr
Luzula vulcanica Liebm.
Luzula wahlenbergii Rupr.
Luzula × wettsteinii Buchenau

References

Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
Janice Coffey Swab, "Luzula de Candolle in J. Lamarck and A. P. de Candolle, Fl. France, ed. 3. 1: 198; 3: 158. 1805", Flora of North America, vol. 22
Luzula. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).
Luzula. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
"Scientific names - meaning and origin". The Flora of Svalbard. Svalbard: svalbardflora.net. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
Luzula. The Jepson eFlora 2013.
"Luzla". The Plant List. Retrieved November 30, 2013.