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West Indian beaksedge

fewflower beaksedge

Habit Plants perennial, densely cespitose, 20–50 cm; rhizomes absent. Plants perennial, densely cespitose, 15–60 cm; rhizomes compact, branching, slender.
Culms

erect to excurved, lax, filiform, leafy, ± terete.

lax,filiform, leafy, terete, grooved.

Leaves

exceeded by culm, ascending;

blades filiform, ± terete, margins strongly involute, apex trigonous, sulcate, tapering.

ascending to erect, exceeded by culm, blades lax, filiform, margins proximally deeply involute, apex trigonous, tapering.

Inflorescences

spikelet clusters mostly 2–3, sparse to dense, oblong to broadly or narrowly turbinate; leafy bracts setaceous, exceeding clusters.

mostly cymose clusters, simple or compound, 1–3(–4), widely spaced, loose, narrowly to broadly turbinate;, branchies capillary, ascending to spreading, leafy bracts setaceous, exceeded by or exceeding cymes.

Spikelets

pale redbrown, lanceoloid, 3–3.5 mm, apex acute;

fertile scales mostly elliptic, 2–2.5 mm, apex acute, sometimes apiculate.

light redbrown or brown, lanceovoid to fusiform, 3–4(–4.5) mm, apex acuminate, fertile scales ovate, mostly 2–3 mm, apex rounded to acute, midrib included or shortexcurrent.

Flowers

bristles mere nubs or 1–2, to 0.3 mm.

perianth bristles mostly 6, unequal, rarely extending past fruit midbody, antrorsely barbellate.

Fruits

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.

1–4 per spikelet, 1.8–2 mm, body yellowbrown to brown, lustrous, tumidly obovoidlenticular, 1–1.5 × 1–1.5 mm, surfaces transversely wavyrugose, intervals vertically striate with narrow alveolae, tubercle flat, triangular, 0.3–0.6 mm.

Rhynchospora brachychaeta

Rhynchospora rariflora

Phenology Fruiting late spring–fall. Fruiting spring–summer or all year (south).
Habitat Moist sandy peaty substrates in savannas or savanna bog transition, ditches, and moist, disturbed areas Sands or peats of low savannas, seeps, bogs, flatwoods, pond shores, stream banks
Elevation 0–400 m (0–1300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; MS; Central America; West Indies
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; MD; MS; NC; NJ; OK; SC; TN; TX; VA; Mexico; Central America; West Indies
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Rhynchospora rariflora forms solid tussocks by means of short, forking, compact masses of rhizomes.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 23, p. 235. FNA vol. 23, p. 221.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Rhynchospora Cyperaceae > Rhynchospora
Sibling taxa
R. alba, R. baldwinii, R. breviseta, R. caduca, R. californica, R. capillacea, R. capitellata, R. careyana, R. cephalantha, R. chalarocephala, R. chapmanii, R. ciliaris, R. colorata, R. compressa, R. corniculata, R. crinipes, R. curtissii, R. debilis, R. decurrens, R. divergens, R. elliottii, R. eximia, R. fascicularis, R. fernaldii, R. filifolia, R. floridensis, R. fusca, R. globularis, R. glomerata, R. gracilenta, R. grayi, R. harperi, R. harveyi, R. indianolensis, R. inexpansa, R. inundata, R. knieskernii, R. kunthii, R. latifolia, R. macra, R. macrostachya, R. megalocarpa, R. megaplumosa, R. microcarpa, R. microcephala, R. miliacea, R. mixta, R. nitens, R. nivea, R. odorata, R. oligantha, R. pallida, R. perplexa, R. pineticola, R. pleiantha, R. plumosa, R. punctata, R. pusilla, R. rariflora, R. recognita, R. scirpoides, R. solitaria, R. stenophylla, R. thornei, R. torreyana, R. tracyi, R. wrightiana
R. alba, R. baldwinii, R. brachychaeta, R. breviseta, R. caduca, R. californica, R. capillacea, R. capitellata, R. careyana, R. cephalantha, R. chalarocephala, R. chapmanii, R. ciliaris, R. colorata, R. compressa, R. corniculata, R. crinipes, R. curtissii, R. debilis, R. decurrens, R. divergens, R. elliottii, R. eximia, R. fascicularis, R. fernaldii, R. filifolia, R. floridensis, R. fusca, R. globularis, R. glomerata, R. gracilenta, R. grayi, R. harperi, R. harveyi, R. indianolensis, R. inexpansa, R. inundata, R. knieskernii, R. kunthii, R. latifolia, R. macra, R. macrostachya, R. megalocarpa, R. megaplumosa, R. microcarpa, R. microcephala, R. miliacea, R. mixta, R. nitens, R. nivea, R. odorata, R. oligantha, R. pallida, R. perplexa, R. pineticola, R. pleiantha, R. plumosa, R. punctata, R. pusilla, R. recognita, R. scirpoides, R. solitaria, R. stenophylla, R. thornei, R. torreyana, R. tracyi, R. wrightiana
Synonyms Phaeocephalum brachychaetum, R. blauneri, R. chapmanii, R. pallida, R. pallida Schoenus rariflorus, Phaeocephalum rariflorum
Name authority C. Wright: Anales Real Acad. Ci. Méd. Fís. Nat. Habana 8: 85. (1873) (Michaux) Elliott: Sketch Bot. S. Carolina 1: 58. (1816)
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