Rhynchospora fascicularis
Rhynchospora microcarpa
fascicled beaksedge
southern beaksedge
erect to excurvedascending, narrowly linear to ± filiform, terete to obscurely trigonous, leafy, densely so toward base, stiff to rather lax.
erect to ascending, arching, lax, leafy, slender, trigonous.
overtopped by culm;
blades linear, ascending, proximally flat, 1–4 mm wide, apex trigonous, subulate, tapering gradually.
exceeded by inflorescence;
blades ascending to spreading, linear, proximally flat, 1–2(–3) mm wide, apex trigonous, subulate, tapering.
spikelet clusters 1–3(–4), proximal mostly widely spaced, dense, broadly turbinate to hemispheric, to 2 cm broad; leafy bracts subulate, exceeding proximal spikelets, slightly or not exceeding most distal clusters.
spikelet clusters 4–6, mostly dense, widely spaced, narrowly turbinate to ellipsoid;
peduncles erect to ascending, branches ascending; leafy bracts exceeding proximal clusters.
redbrown, narrowly ovoid, (3–)3.5–5 mm, apex acute;
fertile scales ovate, 3–3.5(–4) mm, apex acute, mostly with cusp or mucro 0.5–1 mm.
dark brown, ovoid, 2–3 mm, apex acute;
fertile scales broadly ovate to ± orbiculate, cupulate, 1.5–2 mm, apex rounded to acute, midrib included or excurrent as bristle.
bristles 5–6, from rudimentary to reaching tubercle tip, or (rarely) beyond, antrorsely barbellate.
perianth bristles 6, from vestigial to (rarely) reaching tubercle tip, antrorsely barbellate.
1–3 per spikelet, (1.5–)2–2.2(–2.5) mm;
body dark brown with pale center, lenticular, broadly ellipsoid to ± orbicular, (1.3–)1.5–1.7(–1.9) × 1–1.5 mm, margins pale, narrow or narrowly rounded, flowing to tubercle;
surfaces dull, minutely longitudinally striate;
tubercle compressed, triangular to triangularsubulate, 0.5–0.7(–0.9) mm.
2–3 per spikelet, 1.2–1.5 mm;
body brown, obovoid to globose, lenticular, 1–1.2 × 0.8–1 mm, margins narrow, distinct;
surfaces sharply transversely wavyrugose, intervals with rows of vertical, broadly rectangular or ± isodiametric alveolae;
tubercle lowtriangular or triangular, compressed, 0.2–0.3 mm, base lunate.
Rhynchospora fascicularis
Rhynchospora microcarpa
In her revision, S. Gale (1944) treated var. distans as the more slender version of the species, one with a smaller inflorescence, more distinctly margined fruit body, and consistently elongate perianth bristles. All those character states appear to vary independently over the total range of the species.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Through much of the range of Rhynchospora microcarpa, particularly in limesink or claybased pond areas, is a somewhat shorter series of plants with narrow leaves, tumid fruit 0.7–0.9 mm, often with isodiametric alveolae and depressedtriangular tubercles. Described by S. Gale as R. sulcata, the plants grade into the more typical morphology for R. microcarpa. In peninsular Florida, apparent intergradation with R. elliottii produces some individuals with broad leaves and triangularsubulate tubercles on nearly flat fruits.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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