Luzula

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants in the rush family Juncaceae}} {{Redirect|Woodrush|the buoy tender|USCGC Woodrush (WLB-407){{!}}USCGC ''Woodrush'' (WLB-407)}} {{Automatic taxobox |image = Luzula sylvatica0.jpg |image_caption = ''Luzula sylvatica'', great wood-rush |taxon = Luzula |authority = DC., conserved name |synonyms_ref = <ref name = powo>{{cite web |title=''Luzula'' DC. |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:331233-2 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=30 November 2025}}</ref> |synonyms = *''Cyperella'' J.G.H.Kramer ex MacMill. *''Ebingeria'' Chrtek & Krísa *''Gymnodes'' (Griseb.) Fourr. *''Juncoides'' Ség., rejected name *''Luciola'' Sm., superfluous name *''Nemorinia'' Fourr. *''Pterodes'' (Griseb.) Börner }}

'''''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.<ref name=fna>{{citation |chapter-url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=119122 |author=Janice Coffey Swab |chapter=''Luzula'' de Candolle in J. Lamarck and A. P. de Candolle, Fl. France, ed. 3. 1: 198; 3: 158. 1805 |title= Flora of North America |volume=22}}</ref> Plants of the genus are known commonly as '''wood-rush''',<ref>[http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?7042 ''Luzula''.] Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).</ref> '''wood rush''', or '''woodrush'''.<ref name=itis>[https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=39330 ''Luzula''.] Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).</ref> 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.<ref name=fna/> 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.<ref name="svalbard">{{cite web|url=http://svalbardflora.net/index.php?id=829 |title=Scientific names - meaning and origin |work=The Flora of Svalbard |publisher=svalbardflora.net |access-date=23 December 2013 |location=Svalbard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224114900/http://svalbardflora.net/index.php?id=829 |archive-date=24 December 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

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.<ref name=fna/><ref name=jeps>[http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=9149 ''Luzula''.] The Jepson eFlora 2013.</ref>

''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.<ref name = powo/> {{div col|colwidth=20em}} *''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'' (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 brevispicata'' {{small|Knjaz.}} *''Luzula bulbosa'' (Alph. Wood) Smyth & L.C.R.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 mauretanica'' {{small|(Maire & Trab.) Rivas Mart., Molero Mesa, Marfíl & G.Benítez}} *''Luzula × media'' Kirschner *''Luzula mendocina'' Barros *''Luzula meridionalis'' H. Nordensk. *''Luzula modesta'' Buchenau *''Luzula multiflora'' (Ehrh.) Lej. *''Luzula muscosa'' {{small|Charit.}} *''Luzula nipponica'' (Satake) Kirschner & Miyam. *''Luzula nivalis'' (Laest.) Spreng. *''Luzula nivea'' (Nathh.) DC. *''Luzula nodulosa'' E. Mey. *''Luzula novae-cambriae'' Gand. *''Luzula odaesanensis'' {{small|Y.N.Lee & Chae ex M.Kim}} *''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 *''Luzula × winderiae'' {{small|Murr}} {{div col end}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{Cite NIE|wstitle=Luzula|short=x}}

Category:Luzula Category:Poales genera Category:Taxa named by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle