Luzula bulbosa (Alph. Wood) Smyth & L.C. Smyth

Bulbous Wood Rush

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Bulbous Wood Rush is a native herbaceous perennial in the Rush family (Juncaceae). It can be found throughout the northern two-thirds of Alabama. Bulbous Wood Rush grows in dry hardwood forests, along roads, on roadside banks, in cemeteries, and occasionally in lawns. It is a perennial from a short knotty rhizome. Leaves are primarily basal. Plants are solitary or form a small clump. The leaves often have a white swollen bulb-like base. Leaves are linear and entire with long white hairs along the margins. There are 2-3 cauline leaves. Flowers are produced in glomerules. The central glomerule is sessile or nearly so and cylindrical. Other cylindrical glomerules are on straight, ascending to erect Inflorescence branches. A single leaf-like bract subtends the inflorescence. It is shorter than the inflorescence. Individual flowers have 6 shiny reddish-brown tepals with clear margins. The anthers are 1-2 times the length of the filaments. The fruit is an obovoid shiny brown capsule.—A. Diamond

Many authors have cited Rydberg (1931) as the transferring author but his combination was later than Smyth & L.C.Smyth (1912).

Native G5 (Global Rank)

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