Pale European Wood Rush

Plants tufted, 10--35 cm tall. Stems terete. Basal leaf blade flat, 4--15 cm × 2--5 mm, margin pilose, apex with a thick callus. Cauline leaves 2 or 3. Inflorescence subumbellate; basal involucral bract usually longer than inflorescence; flower clusters 5--15, globose-oblong, 7--12-flowered, central one subsessile, others borne on erect, straight branches. Pedicels inconspicuous, with 1 or 2 bracts at base; bracteoles broadly ovate to ovate-deltoid, margin sparsely ciliate or denticulate, apex sharply pointed. Perianth segments chestnut brown to yellowish white, lanceolate; outer segments 2--3 × 1--1.3 mm; inner segments 1.6--2.5 × 0.8--1 mm. Filaments slightly shorter to slightly longer than anthers; anthers ca. 0.8 mm. Style ca. 0.5 mm, shorter than ovary; stigmas ca. 1.5 mm. Capsule trigonous obovoid to ellipsoid, 1.8--2.l mm. Seeds ovoid, ca. 1 mm; appendage basal, ca. 0.4 mm. Fl. May--Jul, fr. Jun--Aug. 2 n = 12.

Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Shanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xinjiang [Japan, Korea, Russia; Europe, North America].

Forested slopes, forest margins, disturbed grasslands, trail sides; 1100--3600 m.