Luzula racemosa Desv.

  • Authority

    Balslev, Henrik. 1996. Juncaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 68: 1-167. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Juncaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Luzula racemosa Desv.

  • Type

    Type.  America calidiore, (holotype, P!).

  • Synonyms

    Luzula peruviana Desv., Juncodes peruvianum (Desv.) Kuntze, Luzula interrupta Desv., Luzula humilis Buchenau, Luzula racemosa var. humilis (Buchenau) Fr., Luzula boliviensis Buchenau, Juncodes boliviense (Buchenau) Kuntze, Luzula macusaniensis Steud. ex Buchenau, Juncodes macusaniense (Steud. ex Buchenau) Kuntze, Juncodes racemosum (Desv.) Kuntze, Luzula racemosa var. typica Buchenau

  • Description

    Species Description - Perennial, cespitose herbs, 5-45 cm high. Rhizome erect or ascending, without stolons. Culms erect, straight or more often slightly curved, 0.5-2 mm diam. Basal leaves 5 to several to each culm, in a loose or sometimes squarrose rosette; sheaths short; blades apically acute, 5-25 x 0.1-0.4 cm, flat or sometimes thickened and concave. Cauline leaves 0-4 to each culm, to 15 cm long, the sheath occupying 1/6-1/3 of the length; leaf margins pilose, especially in young and cauline leaves. Inflorescence a terminal, erect or nodding, spike-like raceme of 3 to several flower clusters, 1-6 x 0.5-2 cm; flower clusters oblong to ovoid, 0.5-1.5 x 0.3-1 cm, sessile or sometimes short pedunculate, crowded or sometimes spaced along the rachis. Basal inflorescence bract herbaceous, linear, usually much longer than the flower cluster and =5 cm long, distal bracts progressively shorter. Tepals unequal, dark castaneous or white and scariose when old, outer tepals 2.5-4 mm, inner tepals 2-3.5 mm long. Stamens usually 3 but often 6, 0.6-1.5 mm long; anthers oblong to linear, 0.2-0.5 mm long, usually shorter than the filaments. Capsule broadly ellipsoid to ovoid, 3-lobed to trigonous, 1.5-2 x 1-1.5 mm, usually conspicuously shorter than the tepals but sometimes almost as long, castaneous, the entire valve recurving at dehiscence. Seeds ellipsoid, apiculate, 0.7-1.1 x 0.4-0.6 mm, brown with a hyaline, rugose outer seed coat.

  • Discussion

    In an earlier publication (Balslev, 1979a), I recognised three species (L. racemosa, L. peruviana, and L. chilensis) within what is here treated as one species, L. racemosa. Buchenau (1906) cut it even finer and recognised four species. For this study I have examined a large amount of material covering the area from Mexico to Bolivia, and it is obvious that there is a genetic variation between different populations which gives them quite a large morphological range. I have, however, been unable to draw lines between consistently distinguishable taxa therein. The relation between ecological and genetic variation between the populations is also uncertain.

    Local names and uses. Luzula racemosa is important in the magic beliefs of the people in the Huancabamba area in Cajamarca, Peru; it is sold as a security to dominate enemies.

  • Common Names

    hierba de dominación, q’omo q’omo

  • Distribution

    Luzula racemosa is distributed in the highlands from central Mexico to Guatemala and along the Andes from Venezuela to Chile and Argentina. Within the neotropical region it has been collected at elevations of 2900-4700 m but is most commonly found above 3500 m. It grows in well-drained, sunny, exposed places in grassy openings in the upper-montane forest belt and in the páramos above the timber line.

    Mexico North America| Chiapas Mexico North America| Distrito Federal Mexico North America| Jalisco Mexico North America| México Mexico North America| Michoacán Mexico North America| Puebla Mexico North America| Tlaxcala Mexico North America| Veracruz Mexico North America| Guatemala Central America| Chimaltenango Guatemala Central America| Huehuetenango Guatemala Central America| Quezaltenango Guatemala Central America| San Marcos Guatemala Central America| Sololá Guatemala Central America| Colombia South America| Boyacá Colombia South America| Caldas Colombia South America| Cauca Colombia South America| Cundinamarca Colombia South America| Magdalena Colombia South America| Norte de Santander Colombia South America| Santander Colombia South America| Tolima Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Mérida Venezuela South America| Ecuador South America| Azuay Ecuador South America| Bolívar Ecuador South America| Cañar Ecuador South America| Carchi Ecuador South America| Chimborazo Ecuador South America| Cotopaxi Ecuador South America| Imbabura Ecuador South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Pichincha Ecuador South America| Tungurahua Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Ancash Peru South America| Apurímac Peru South America| Arequipa Peru South America| Ayacucho Peru South America| Cajamarca Peru South America| Cusco Peru South America| Huancavelica Peru South America| Huánuco Peru South America| Junín Peru South America| La Libertad Peru South America| Lima Peru South America| Puno Peru South America| Bolivia South America| Cochabamba Bolivia South America| La Paz Bolivia South America| Oruro Bolivia South America| Potosí Bolivia South America| Tarija Bolivia South America|