Rhynchospora brachychaeta
Rhynchospora perplexa
West Indian beaksedge
pineland beaksedge
erect to excurved, lax, filiform, leafy, ± terete.
lax, often excurved, slender, ± terete or trigonous.
exceeded by culm, ascending;
blades filiform, ± terete, margins strongly involute, apex trigonous, sulcate, tapering.
ascending, exceeded by culm;
blades linear, proximally flat, 1.5–2.5 mm wide, apex trigonous, subulate, tapering.
spikelet clusters mostly 2–3, sparse to dense, oblong to broadly or narrowly turbinate; leafy bracts setaceous, exceeding clusters.
clusters 3–4, widely spaced, narrowly, compactly, or diffusely turbinate; leafy bracts exceeding proximal clusters.
pale redbrown, lanceoloid, 3–3.5 mm, apex acute;
fertile scales mostly elliptic, 2–2.5 mm, apex acute, sometimes apiculate.
deep redbrown, ovoid to broadly ellipsoid, 2–3 mm, apex acute to acuminate;
fertile scales broadly elliptic to obovate or orbiculate, 1.4–2(–2.5) mm, apex rounded to notched, midrib shortexcurrent.
bristles mere nubs or 1–2, to 0.3 mm.
perianth bristles 0–3, vestigial when present.
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.
2–4 per spikelet, 1.5 mm;
body pale brown to brown, strongly flattened, orbicular to broadly obovoid, 1–1.3 × 0.9–1.2 mm, surfaces sharply transversely wavyrugose, intervals finely vertically striate with rows of linearrectangular alveolae;
tubercle depressed, triangular, flattened, 0.2–0.3 mm, base lunate.
Rhynchospora brachychaeta
Rhynchospora perplexa
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.)
In habit and in shape, size, and color of spikelet, Rhynchospora perplexa strongly resembles R. microcarpa, a species with which it is commonly associated in the Coastal Plain. An examination of the fruit shows those of R. perplexa to be flattened, with fewer and much coarser transverse ridges, the intervals with very narrow vertical alveolae. The perianth in most instances is absent or rudimentary. Fruit of R. microcarpa is biconvex with more transverse ridges (eight or more), the intervals more coarsely alveolate; its perianth bristles are six, evident, extending at least halfway up the fruit body.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
LA Plants
