(northern woodrush)
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Luzula confusa is a loosely tufted perennial rush that is not uncommon in the mountains of Denali, frequently occurring in alpine tundra and shrublands,
fellfields, and open gravelly areas. This species has small, dense clusters of flowers. The stem is stiff and upright, 10-30 cm tall, growing from fibrous roots. Basal leaves have reddish sheaths, are narrow and
involute, and can persist on the plant numerous years. The stem leaves are alternate, 1 or 2 per stem, also with reddish sheaths. The
inflorescence consists of 1-4 erect, stalked clusters of 2-5 flowers, or sometimes the clusters are packed together in what appears to be a single cylindrical
spike. Flowers are
perfect and consist of 6 dark-brown
tepals, 6
stamens, and 3
stigmas.
Stigmas are much longer than the
styles. The fruit is a
capsule with 3 small seeds. This species can be differentiated from other
Luzula species in Denali by its
involute leaves, and densely clustered flowers.
Luzula confusa flowers mid-summer (mid-June to July).
L. confusa is
monoecious and wind-pollinated. Seeds have no special adaptions for dispersal and are probably wind and gravity disseminated.
L. confusa is a circumpolar species ranging across northern Eurasia to Alaska, east across northern Canada to Labrador and Greenland and south into British Columbia, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. In Alaska, this species occurs statewide except is absent along the southern coastal areas. In Denali, L. confusa grows in the mountains on both sides of the Alaska Range.
Details are shown in the Plots & Charts found at right, depicting recent Denali data.
Luzula confusa is found in the park at elevations from 274 m to 1787 m with an average of 1151 m. This species is more commonly found on north-facing slopes. Slope angles for sites where L. confusa is found ranged from 0 to 37 degrees with an average slope of 17 degrees.
Details are shown in the Plots & Charts found at right. For more on how to interpret these figures, visit Understanding Data Presented.
L. confusa is an alpine species that grows in sandy to rocky soils, barren areas, tundra, meadows, lakeshores, and scree. Soil pH for sites where L. confusa was found ranged from 4. to 6.8 with an average pH of 4.9.
Well-drained moist to dry sites.
