Rhynchospora caduca
Rhynchospora inundata
anglestem beaksedge
inundated beakrush, narrow-fruit beaksedge, narrowfruit horned beaksedge
erect or ascending, leafy, trigonous.
stiffly erect, leafy, triangular, multiribbed.
exceeded by culm;
blades linear, proximally 4–7 mm wide, apex trigonous, tapering.
erect, distal ones overtopping inflorescence;
principal blades flat proximally, trigonous distally, 3–10 mm wide, apex attenuate.
terminal and axillary;
clusters 3–6, mostly dense, narrowly to broadly turbinate, branches ascending; leafy bracts exceeeding proximalmost inflorescences.
terminal and axillary, clusters of corymbs (1–)2–3, open, spikelet clusters loose;
bracteal leaves mostly overtopping corymbs.
rich brown, ovoid, (3–)4–5 mm, apex acuminate;
fertile scales ovate, 2.5–3.5 mm, apex acuminate, midrib included or shortexcurrent.
pale redbrown, narrowly lanceoloid, (9–)11–14 mm, apex acuminate;
fertile scales lanceolate, 9–13 mm, apex acuminate, midrib shortexcurrent or not.
perianth bristles mostly 6, exceeding tubercle tip.
perianth bristles 5–6, extending at least 5 mm beyond tubercle base, antrorsely barbellate.
mostly 3–4 per spikelet, 2–2.2 mm;
body brown on short pedicellar (to 0.3 mm) stalk, broadly obovoid, lenticular, 1.3–1.5 × 1–1.5 mm, surfaces transversely rugulose, vertically finely striate and rectangularalveolate;
tubercle compressed, triangular acuminate, 0.5–0.8 mm, edges setulose.
1–2 per spikelet, 15–20 mm;
body stipitate, obovoid to oblong, compressed, 4–5 × 2–3 mm, margins thick;
surfaces concave, horizontally finely striate, minutely cancellate;
tubercle stoutbased, grooved, subulate, 10–15 mm, setulose.
Rhynchospora caduca
Rhynchospora inundata
Rhynchospora caduca has its closest relationships with the even more robust R. odorata Grisebach, on the one hand, and the swampinhabiting, more slender, and rhizomatous R. mixta Britton ex Small, on the other. Intergrades with R. odorata appear in Alabama and northwest Florida; intergrades with R. mixta appear where ranges overlap in both the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Rhynchospora inundata is largely confined to lower Coastal Plain terraces, mostly along the present coast. Typical plants have narrow fruit bodies and narrow inflorescences of sparse clusters, well overtopped by leaves and erect leafy bracts. By contrast, plants of R. careyana have broader fruits, shorter perianths, and larger, broader inflorescences that overtop most or all leaves and bracts. In general, plants of R. careyana are more robust and grow in more acid sites than those of R. inundata. Southward in the Atlantic Coastal and Gulf Coastal plains are broad areas of ecotone where the two species intergrade.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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