''Luzula'' is a genus of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the rush family

Juncaceae Juncaceae is a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the rush family. It consists of 8 genera and about 464 known species of slow-growing, rhizomatous, herbaceous monocotyledonous plants that may superficially resemble grasses and s ...

. The genus has a

cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. Such a taxon, usually a species, is said to exhibit cosmopolitanism or cosmopolitism. The ext ...

, with species occurring throughout the world, especially in

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

regions, the

Arctic The Arctic ( or ) is a polar regions of Earth, polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenla ...

, and higher elevation areas in the

tropics The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

. Plants of the genus are known commonly as wood-rush, wood rush, or woodrush.''Luzula''.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). Possible origins of the genus name include the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

''lucciola'' ("to shine, sparkle") or the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''luzulae'' or ''luxulae'', from ''lux'' ("light"), inspired by the way the plants sparkle when wet with

dew Dew is water in the form of droplets that appears on thin, exposed objects in the morning or evening due to condensation. As the exposed surface cools by radiating its heat, atmospheric moisture condenses at a rate greater than that at wh ...

. Another etymology sometimes given is that it does derive from ''lucciola'' but that this meant a mid-summer field, or from the

''luculus'', meaning a small place; the same source also states that this name was applied by

Luigi Anguillara Luigi Anguillara, actually Luigi Squalermo, (born c. 1512 in Anguillara Sabazia, died September 1570 in Ferrara) was an Italian botanist. Life Little is known about Anguillara's early life. From 1539, he is attested at the private botanical garde ...

(an Italian

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

) in 1561. These rushes are usually

perennial plant A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

s with

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

s and sometimes

stolon In biology, stolons (from Latin '' stolō'', genitive ''stolōnis'' – "branch"), also known as runners, are horizontal connections between organisms. They may be part of the organism, or of its skeleton; typically, animal stolons are external s ...

s. They generally form clumps of cylindrical stems and narrow leaves with hair-lined edges. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

is often a dense cluster of flowers with two leaf-like

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

s at the base, or sometimes a solitary flower or a few flowers borne together. They have six brownish

tepal A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of very ...

s.''Luzula''.
The Jepson eFlora 2013. ''Luzula'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

species, including the

smoky wainscot ''Mythimna impura'', the smoky wainscot, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1808. It is distributed throughout most of the Palearctic realm from Ireland in the west of Europe east to the Caucas ...

. Several moths of the genus ''

Coleophora ''Coleophora'' is a very large genus of moths of the family Coleophoridae. It contains some 1,350 described species. The genus is represented on all continents, but the majority are found in the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions. Many authors hav ...

'' have been observed on the plants. ''

Coleophora biforis ''Coleophora biforis'' is a moth of the family Coleophoridae. It is found in the United States, including Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and w ...

'' 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 ''Luzula sylvatica'', commonly known as greater wood-rush or great wood-rush, is a perennial flowering plant in the rush family Juncaceae. Description ''Luzula sylvatica'' is the largest woodrush, with stems high. It forms clumps of bright g ...

'' and its cultivars, are used as ornamental garden plants.

Species

There are around 140 species in the genus: *''

Luzula abchasica ''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 tropic ...

'' Novikov *''

Luzula abyssinica ''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 climate, temperate regions, the Arctic, and higher elevation ...

'' Parl. *''

Luzula acuminata ''Luzula acuminata'', the hairy woodrush, is a species of perennial plant in Juncaceae family that grows in northeastern United States and Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend fr ...

'' Raf. *'' Luzula acutifolia'' H. Nordensk. *''

Luzula africana ''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 tropic ...

'' Drège ''ex'' Steud. *'' Luzula alopecuroides'' Desv. *''

Luzula alopecurus ''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 tropic ...

'' Desv. *''

Luzula alpestris ''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 tropic ...

'' H. Nordensk. *''

Luzula alpina ''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 climate, temperate regions, the Arctic, and higher elevation ...

'' Hoppe *''

Luzula alpinopilosa ''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 tropi ...

'' (Chaix) Breistr. *'' Luzula antarctica'' Hook. f. *'' Luzula arcuata'' (Wahlenb.) Sw. *''

Luzula atlantica ''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 tropic ...

'' Braun-Blanq. *''

Luzula atrata ''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 tropic ...

'' Edgar *''

Luzula australasica ''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 tropic ...

'' Steud. *'' Luzula banksiana'' E. Mey. *''

Luzula × bogdanii ''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 climate, temperate regions, the Arctic, and higher elevation ...

'' Kirschner *''

Luzula bomiensis ''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 climate, temperate regions, the Arctic, and higher elevation ...

'' K. F. Wu *''

Luzula × bornmuelleriana ''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 tropi ...

'' Kük. *''

Luzula × borreri ''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 tropic ...

'' Bromf. ''ex'' Bab. *'' Luzula brachyphylla'' Phil. *''

Luzula bulbosa ''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 tropic ...

'' (Alph. Wood) Smyth & L. C. Smyth *''

Luzula caespitosa ''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 tropi ...

'' (E. Mey.) Steud. *''

Luzula calabra ''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 tropi ...

'' Ten. *''

Luzula campestris ''Luzula campestris'', commonly known as field wood-rush, Good Friday grass or sweep's brush is a flowering plant in the rush family Juncaceae. It is a very common plant throughout temperate Europe extending to the Caucasus. This species of ''Lu ...

'' (L.) DC. *''

Luzula canariensis ''Luzula canariensis'' is a plant species in the genus ''Luzula'', family Juncaceae. It is endemic to the Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and ...

'' Poir. *'' Luzula capitata'' (Miq. ''ex'' Franch. & Sav.) Kom. *''

Luzula caricina ''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 tropi ...

'' E. Mey. *''

Luzula celata ''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 tropic ...

'' Edgar *''

Luzula chilensis ''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 tropic ...

'' Nees & Meyen ''ex'' Kunth *'' Luzula colensoi'' Hook. f. *''

Luzula comosa ''Luzula comosa'' is a species of flowering plant in the rush family known by the common name Pacific woodrush. It is native to western North America from Alaska to California to Colorado, where it can be found in moist spots in forests and mead ...

'' E. Mey. *'' Luzula confusa'' Lindeb. *''

Luzula congesta ''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 tropic ...

'' (Thuill.) Lej. *'' Luzula crenulata'' Buchenau *''

Luzula crinita ''Luzula crinita '' is a species of flowering plant in the rush family that is native to the subantarctic islands of New Zealand and Australia. The specific epithet comes from the Latin ''crinitus'' (hairy tufted), with reference to the leav ...

'' Hook. f. *''

Luzula × danica ''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 tropi ...

'' H. Nordensk. & Kirschner *'' Luzula decipiens'' Edgar *''

Luzula densiflora ''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 climate, temperate regions, the Arctic, and higher elevation ...

'' (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'' Leena Hämet-Ahti, 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. *''

'' (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

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q157588 Luzula, Poales genera