Smooth woodrush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Smooth woodrush |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Luzula
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| Species: |
hitchcockii
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Luzula hitchcockii, also known as smooth woodrush or Hitchcock's wood rush, is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the rush family. This plant grows naturally in western North America. You can find it from British Columbia and Alberta in Canada, all the way down to Oregon and Wyoming in the United States. Sometimes, scientists consider it a variety of another plant called Luzula glabrata.
Contents
What is Smooth Woodrush?
Plant Features
This plant is a perennial, meaning it lives for more than two years. It grows from special underground stems called rhizomes. These rhizomes help the plant spread and form new plants. The smooth woodrush has round, hollow stems that can grow up to 50 centimeters (about 20 inches) tall.
Its leaves are shiny and have red tips. They are usually a few centimeters long. The plant produces flowers in a cluster called an inflorescence. These flowers are either single or grow in pairs. They have small parts called tepals, which are reddish or brown. After flowering, the plant forms a reddish-brown capsule. This capsule is a fruit that holds three seeds inside.
How it Grows
Smooth woodrush often grows in large groups, forming big colonies. When many of these plants grow together, they create a thick mat on the ground. This mat can be so dense that it stops other plants from growing nearby.
Where Does Smooth Woodrush Live?
High Mountain Homes
This plant likes to grow in high places, like subalpine and alpine climate areas. These are mountain regions where it's often cold. You can find it under trees like subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana), and subalpine larch (Larix lyallii).
Cold and Snowy Places
Smooth woodrush prefers habitats that are very high up and have snow that stays on the ground for a long time. It is a good indicator that tells us a place is cold and has late-melting snow. Other plants that often grow with smooth woodrush include grouse whortleberry, Sitka valerian, mountain arnica, and menziesia.
Animals and Smooth Woodrush
Food and Shelter
This plant is important for some animals. For example, grizzly bears sometimes eat smooth woodrush. Also, caribou occasionally choose to have their babies in areas where this rush grows. This shows how different living things depend on each other in nature.
