Rhynchospora brachychaeta
Rhynchospora stenophylla
West Indian beaksedge
coastal plain beaksedge
erect to excurved, lax, filiform, leafy, ± terete.
lax, leafy toward base, filiform, ± terete.
exceeded by culm, ascending;
blades filiform, ± terete, margins strongly involute, apex trigonous, sulcate, tapering.
ascending, exceeded by culm;
blades filiform, to 0.5 mm, margins mostly involute, apex trigonous, tapering.
spikelet clusters mostly 2–3, sparse to dense, oblong to broadly or narrowly turbinate; leafy bracts setaceous, exceeding clusters.
mostly lax cymes or clusters of cymes, 1–2, sparse, turbinate, branches capillary; leafy bracts setaceous, exceeding proximal cymes, shorter than, equaling or slightly exceeding distal cymes.
pale redbrown, lanceoloid, 3–3.5 mm, apex acute;
fertile scales mostly elliptic, 2–2.5 mm, apex acute, sometimes apiculate.
redbrown, fusiformlanceoloid, 5 mm, apex acute;
fertile scales lanceolate, 3.5–4.5 mm, apex acute or acuminate, midrib included or shortexcurrent.
bristles mere nubs or 1–2, to 0.3 mm.
perianth bristles 6, exceeding tubercle base, antrorsely barbellate, basally setose.
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 per spikelet, 2.8–3 mm;
body pale brown, obovoidpyriform, tumidly lenticular, 1.5–1 × 1 mm;
surfaces transversely wavyrugose, intervals vertically striate with narrow, raised alveolae;
tubercle flat, narrowly triangular-subulate, (0.8–)1–1.5 mm.
Rhynchospora brachychaeta
Rhynchospora stenophylla
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 stenophylla may occasionally be confused with the closely related R. rariflora but can be distinguished by its taller and wispier habit, its longer spikelets of narrower outline, and the distinctly longer fruit tubercle. Both species are usually found on wet substrates; R. stenophylla typically is found in the deepest bogs and sphagnous seeps.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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