Part 6. JUNCACEAE 1: Rostkovia to Luzula - Species Plantarum ...

JUNCACEAE (Luzula)
Sect. 6. THYRSANOCHLAMYDEAE
Luzula sect. Thyrsanochlamydeae Satake, in T.Nakai & M.Honda, Nov. Fl. Jap. 1: 30 (1938)
T: Luzula unalaschkensis (Buchenau) Satake; lecto, designated here.
Luzula subsect. Thyrsanochlamydeae Novikov, Byull. Moskovsk. Obshch. Isp. Prir., Otd. Biol., 95(6): 67
(1990), nom. illeg. T: Luzula confusa Lindeb.
Luzula subsect. Tundricolae Kovt., Bot. Žurn. (Moscow & Leningrad) 72: 1399 (1987). T: Luzula
tundricola Gorodkov ex V.N.Vassil.
Luzula subsect. Confusae Kovt., Bot. Žurn. (Moscow & Leningrad) 72: 1399 (1987). T: Luzula confusa
Lindeb.
Luzula subsect. Nivales [Chrtek & Křísa ex] Kovt., Bot. Žurn. (Moscow & Leningrad) 72: 1399 (1987).
T: Luzula nivalis (Laest.) Spreng.
Perennials. Leaves with tip acute, acuminate or mucronate. Lower bract short, membranous
to brownish-membranous. Inflorescence subcongested, or in glomerules on thin peduncles
which are usually arcuate or nodding, less often straight. Seeds ellipsoidal to narrowly
ellipsoidal; appendage basal, short, up to 0.2 mm long, or lacking; base fibrillate.
Five species, almost confined to the Arctic and rare in the mountains in northern temperate
regions. They represent a link between sect. Diprophyllatae and the type section.
In particular, L. arcuata and L. confusa may have an alloploid origin of the above parentage,
as indicated by their karyotypes (Nordenskiöld, 1949, 1951).
1 Basal leaves usually 4.5–6.0 mm wide, bluish green; plants usually tall,
20–40 cm tall [California] 45. L. subcongesta
1: Basal leaves usually narrower than 4 mm; plants usually less than 20 cm
tall [circumpolar but north of California]
2 Basal leaves with obtuse, often slightly swollen tip with a spinuliform
mucro; seed base with appendage c. 0.2 mm long and fibrillate 49. L. nivalis
2: Basal leaves subabruptly to gradually narrowing to acute or acuminate
tip; seed base with short (to 0.1 mm long) appendage or without
appendage, and always fibrillate
3 Plant base straw-brown to dull brownish; flower clusters pale brown
to straw-brown, ellipsoidal 46. L. kjellmaniana
3: Plant base brown to purplish or reddish, usually shining; flower
glomerules or clusters dark to blackish brown, ±globular or ellipsoidal
4 Peduncles c. 0.2 mm in diam., with secondary branches, usually
arcuate to nodding; glomerules (1–) 2–6 (–8)-flowered, broader than
wide; number of glomerules usually 5–10; stem less than 0.5 mm in
diam. below inflorescence 47. L. arcuata
4: Peduncles c. 0.3 mm in diam., without secondary branches, usually
straight, erect, less often arcuate; subsessile clusters more than
10-flowered; number of clusters usually 1–3; stem 0.5–0.9 mm in
diam. below inflorescence 48. L. confusa
45. Luzula subcongesta (S.Watson) Jeps., Fl. Calif. 1: 258 (1921)
Luzula spadicea var. subcongesta S.Watson, Bot. California 2: 202 (1880); Luzula parviflora var.
subcongesta (S.Watson) Buchenau, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 12: 110 (1890); Juncoides parviflora var. subcongesta
(S.Watson) E.Sheld., Bull. Geol. Nat. Hist. Surv. 9: 63 (1894); Juncoides subcongesta Coville, Muhlenbergia
1: 105 (1904). T: California, Sierra Nevada, near Donner Lake, J.Torrey; syn: n.v.
Illustration: Jepson, Fl. Calif. 1: 259, fig. 45c, d, e (1921).
Map: J.Coffey Swab, Fl. North Amer. 22: 267 (2000).
Perennials, loosely tufted, subglabrous, bluish green, with horizontal rhizome. Stem 20–40 cm
long; cauline leaves 3–4, usually 3–5 cm long, 3–6 mm wide; basal leaves up to 10 (–15) cm
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