Good Friday Grass

Luzula campestris, Field Wood-rush otherwise known as Good Friday Grass. Note the characteristic long, white hairs along the leaf margins. © Karen Andrews.
Long anthers on Luzula campestris, Field Wood-rush, are very visible when the flowers first open. © Karen Andrews.

Today is Good Friday. While out walking I spotted patches of Luzula campestris, Field Wood-rush, amid the grass. This rush is familiarly called Good Friday Grass. Its appearance in Spring around Easter has earned it this name. Its early arrival also helps with identification.

The sky did not turn black today. It was a glorious cobalt blue – a beautiful day for noticing all the early signs of Spring, including Good Friday Grass that can so easily go unnoticed.

Luzula campestris, Field Wood-rush, is rhizomatous and is often found in crowded clumps in short, unimproved grassland. The stalks curve more strongly as the plant develops to fruit. © Karen Andrews.

References and Further Reading

  • Averis, Ben (2015): Plants and Habitats. Forestry Commission Scotland.
  • Poland, John & Clement, Eric (2009): The Vegetative Key to the British Flora. Botanical Society of the British Isles.
  • Roberts, Carol & Lawrence, Emma (2018): Guide to rushes. FSC Publications. FSC (Field Studes Council).
  • Rose, Francis (1989): Colour Identification Guide to the Grasses, Sedges, Rushes and Fernsof the British Isles and north-western Europe. Penguin-Viking.

Note

Karen does not seek or receive any commercial interest or advantage from this blog. She is not promoting any business venture. She simply loves to share fascinating facts about plants. These pages illustrate her love of plants, botany, biodiversity, gardens and creative expression. There is always so much to learn about plant diversity. This blog is designed as a showcase for photography, commentary on plants and wildlife, gardens and other places visited, horticulture and related topics. Viewpoints are her own, not those of her employer.

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