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Heath Wood-Rush

Heath Wood-Rush

Luzula multiflora

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How common: Common

Heath Wood-Rush is a small, grass-like perennial that grows in loose tufts. It has narrow, softly hairy leaves and many small brown flower heads on spreading branches. You can see it in open grassy places, along roads and paths, and on heaths and shores.

Did you know?

  • Ants spread its seeds: each seed has a tiny fatty piece that attracts them.
  • It is wind‑pollinated, so it does not rely on insects to move its pollen.

About the species

Identification

Low, tuft-forming plant 15–40 cm tall with many upright, round, leafy stems. Leaves are flat, 2–4 mm wide, with fine white hairs and slightly rough edges. The top of the stem carries a loose spray of 3–15 small, rounded clusters on spreading side-branches. Each cluster has tiny brown, star-like flowers; later a small capsule with three seeds forms, each seed with a pale morsel that attracts ants. Tell it from similar wood‑rushes by the several small clusters on spreading branches rather than a single tight head, and by the softly hairy leaves. Flowers in Finland from June to August.

Plant group

Grasses, sedges and rushes

Habitat

meadow

Flowering

Jun–Aug

About the habitat

Grows in many open, light places: meadows and lawns, roadsides and field edges, shores, open bogs, and on heaths, even in upland areas. Common throughout the country.

Sources

Photo: Krzystzof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Luzula multiflora kz2.JPG

Text: Pinkka: Laaja maatalouslajintuntemus 4 op - Koppisiemeniset, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40229

Text: Pinkka (Luomus), CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40229

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurmipiippo

See also