Rhynchospora brachychaeta
West Indian beaksedge
erect to excurved, lax, filiform, leafy, ± terete.
exceeded by culm, ascending;
blades filiform, ± terete, margins strongly involute, apex trigonous, sulcate, tapering.
spikelet clusters mostly 2–3, sparse to dense, oblong to broadly or narrowly turbinate; leafy bracts setaceous, exceeding clusters.
pale redbrown, lanceoloid, 3–3.5 mm, apex acute;
fertile scales mostly elliptic, 2–2.5 mm, apex acute, sometimes apiculate.
bristles mere nubs or 1–2, to 0.3 mm.
mostly 2 per spikelet, 1.5–1.6 mm;
body redbrown with pale center, lenticular, broadly obovoid to orbicular, margins pale, narrow, flowing to tubercle;
surfaces smoothish, or faintly cancellate;
tubercle flattened, triangularsubulate, 0.3–0.5 mm.
Rhynchospora brachychaeta
Rhynchospora brachychaeta is quite possibly adventive; most of its localities in the flora are in disturbed areas near the coast. It is similar to the widespread native R. chapmanii, from which it is distinguished by its more numerous spikelet clusters, the darker spikelets, the achene faces brown with pale centers (rather than pale with brown ends), and the relatively more developed perianth.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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