SNOW-WHITE WOOD-RUSH

SNOWY WOOD-RUSH

Luzula nivea

Rushes Family [Juncaceae]

10th May 2014, school yard, Hawkshead, Cumbria

Photo: © RWD

Between 45 to 80cm tall, similar to Great Wood-Rush, but the flowers are white. Basal leaves 20-30cm long.

10th May 2014, school yard, Hawkshead, Cumbria

Photo: © RWD

Here flowers not opened, but when they do, have 3 tepals and 3 petals looking like 6 petals, all white.

10th May 2014, school yard, Hawkshead, Cumbria

Photo: © RWD

The stems splits up into several flowering sections, some higher than others.

10th May 2014, school yard, Hawkshead, Cumbria

Photo: © RWD

Leaves have few but long and white hairs on the edges.

10th May 2014, school yard, Hawkshead, Cumbria

Photo: © RWD

As yet un-opened flowers are white and pointed.

10th May 2014, school yard, Hawkshead, Cumbria

Photo: © RWD

Leaves grass-like, linear, broad and with hairs along the edges as if fraying.

Easily mistaken for : White Wood-rush (Luzula luzuloides) but Snow-white Wood-rush has snowy-white petals (actually tepals) rather than the white to pale-straw of White Wood-rush. Snow-white Wood-rush also has tepals that, at 4.5 - 5.5mm are about twice as long as the 2.5 - 3,5mm of White Wood-rush.

Some similarities to : Great Wood-Rush (Luzula sylvatica) but that has pale, straw-coloured tepals.

A non-native garden rush that sometimes escapes into the wild but does not persist. It is found in Europe.

Luzula

nivea

⇐ Global Aspect ⇒

Juncaceae

Distribution
family8Rushes family8Juncaceae
BSBI maps

Luzula
(Wood-Rushes)