Rhynchospora compressa
Rhynchospora stenophylla
flatfruit beaksedge
coastal plain beaksedge
erect to ascending, leafiest at base, triangular, slender, somewhat stiff.
lax, leafy toward base, filiform, ± terete.
exceeded by culm;
basal blades crowded, spreadingexcurved, distal ascending, linear, proximally flat, 3–5 mm wide, apex trigonous, shortsubulate.
ascending, exceeded by culm;
blades filiform, to 0.5 mm, margins mostly involute, apex trigonous, tapering.
spikelet clusters 3–5, compact, the proximalmost widely spaced, turbinate or lobed to hemispheric; leafy bracts setaceous, mostly overtopping 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.
redbrown, broadly ovoid, 3–3.5(–4) mm, apex acuminate;
fertile scales broadly ovate to ± orbiculate, 2–2.5(–3) mm, apex rounded to notched, midrib included or shortexcurrent.
redbrown, fusiformlanceoloid, 5 mm, apex acute;
fertile scales lanceolate, 3.5–4.5 mm, apex acute or acuminate, midrib included or shortexcurrent.
perianth bristles 6, reaching from fruit midbody to tubercle, antrorsely barbellate.
perianth bristles 6, exceeding tubercle base, antrorsely barbellate, basally setose.
1–2 per spikelet, (2–)2.5–2.8(–3) mm;
body brownish, broadly obovoid to nearly orbicular, 1.5–2 × 1.5–2 mm;
surfaces strongly transversely wavyrugose, intervals rows of vertical, rectangular alveolae;
tubercle conic-subulate, basal rim flaring above short neck on achene.
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 compressa
Rhynchospora stenophylla
Rhynchospora compressa is very closely akin to R. recognita and even coarser; inflorescence clusters are about as bristly and fertile scales blunter than those in R. recognita. It is less inclined to have an excurrent midrib, and the fruit is flatter. Both species often produce sterile spikelets, sometimes comprising an entire inflorescence.
(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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