Luzula
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. Plants of the genus are known commonly as wood-rush, wood rush, or woodrush. Possible origins of the genus name include the Italian lucciola or the Latin luzulae or luxulae, from lux, inspired by the way the plants sparkle when wet with dew. 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 in 1561.
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.
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
125 species are accepted.- Luzula abchasica Novikov
- Luzula abyssinica Parl.
- Luzula acuminata Raf.
- Luzula acutifolia H. Nordensk.
- Luzula africana Drège ex Steud.
- Luzula alopecurus Desv.
- Luzula alpestris H. Nordensk.
- Luzula alpina Hoppe
- Luzula alpinopilosa Breistr.
- Luzula antarctica Hook. f.
- Luzula arcuata 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 brevispicata
- Luzula bulbosa Smyth & L.C.R.Smyth
- Luzula caespitosa Steud.
- Luzula calabra Ten.
- Luzula campestris DC.
- Luzula canariensis Poir.
- Luzula capitata 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 Lej.
- Luzula crenulata Buchenau
- Luzula crinita Hook. f.
- Luzula × danica H. Nordensk. & Kirschner
- Luzula decipiens Edgar
- Luzula densiflora Edgar
- Luzula denticulata Liebm.
- Luzula desvauxii Kunth
- Luzula divaricata S.Watson
- Luzula divulgata Kirschner
- Luzula divulgatiformis Bačič & Jogan
- Luzula echinata 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 Edgar
- Luzula formosana Ohwi
- Luzula forsteri DC.
- Luzula × gayana Font Quer & Rothm.
- Luzula gigantea Desv.
- Luzula glabrata 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 E.Mey.
- Luzula leiboldii Buchenau
- Luzula leptophylla Buchenau & Petrie
- Luzula × levieri Asch. & Graebn.
- Luzula longiflora Benth.
- Luzula lutea DC.
- Luzula lutescens Kirschner & Miyam.
- Luzula luzulina Racib.
- Luzula luzuloides Dandy & Wilmott
- Luzula mannii Kirschner & Cheek
- Luzula masafuerana Skottsb.
- Luzula mauretanica
- Luzula × media Kirschner
- Luzula mendocina Barros
- Luzula meridionalis H. Nordensk.
- Luzula modesta Buchenau
- Luzula multiflora Lej.
- Luzula muscosa
- Luzula nipponica Kirschner & Miyam.
- Luzula nivalis Spreng.
- Luzula nivea DC.
- Luzula nodulosa E. Mey.
- Luzula novae-cambriae Gand.
- Luzula odaesanensis
- Luzula oligantha Sam.
- Luzula orestera Sharsm.
- Luzula ostenii Herter
- Luzula ovata Edgar
- Luzula pallescens Sw.
- Luzula papuana M. E. Jansen
- Luzula parviflora Desv.
- Luzula pedemontana Boiss. & Reut.
- Luzula pediformis DC.
- Luzula peruviana Desv.
- Luzula × pfaffii Murr
- Luzula philippinensis M. E. Jansen
- Luzula picta A. Rich.
- Luzula pilosa Willd.
- Luzula pindica Chrtek & Krísa
- Luzula piperi 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 DC.
- Luzula stenophylla Steud.
- Luzula subcapitata H. D. Harr.
- Luzula subcongesta Jeps.
- Luzula subsessilis Buchenau
- Luzula sudetica Schult.
- Luzula sylvatica Gaudin
- Luzula taiwaniana Satake
- Luzula taurica Novikov
- Luzula traversii Cheeseman
- Luzula tristachya Desv.
- Luzula ulei Buchenau
- Luzula ulophylla Cockayne & Laing
- Luzula × vinesii Murr
- Luzula vulcanica Liebm.
- Luzula wahlenbergii Rupr.
- Luzula × wettsteinii Buchenau
- ''Luzula × winderiae''