Rhynchospora fusca
Rhynchospora microcarpa
brown beaksedge, rhynchospore brun
southern beaksedge
erect to excurved, filiform, leafy, ± terete.
erect to ascending, arching, lax, leafy, slender, trigonous.
shorter than culm;
blades ascending, filiform, proximally to 1.5(–2)mm wide, apex trigonous, tapering, setaceous.
exceeded by inflorescence;
blades ascending to spreading, linear, proximally flat, 1–2(–3) mm wide, apex trigonous, subulate, tapering.
lateral spikelet clusters (0–)1–2, distant, terminal cluster ellipsoid to broadly turbinate or hemispheric, branches ascending; leafy bracts setaceous, overtopping clusters.
spikelet clusters 4–6, mostly dense, widely spaced, narrowly turbinate to ellipsoid;
peduncles erect to ascending, branches ascending; leafy bracts exceeding proximal clusters.
red-brown to deep brown, lanceoloid, (4–)5–6(–7) mm, apex acute;
fertile scales lanceolate, 4–5(–6) mm, apex acuminate, midrib often excurrent as awn.
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, longest reaching at least past tubercle base, mostly to tip or beyond, antrorsely barbellate.
perianth bristles 6, from vestigial to (rarely) reaching tubercle tip, antrorsely barbellate.
2(–3) per spikelet, (2.3–)2.5–2.6(–3) mm with pedicellar joint, receptacle, and tubercle;
body lustrous, pale brown to deep brown, obovoid to ellipsoid, lenticular, 1–1.5 × 1 mm, margins narrow, flowing to tubercle;
surfaces longitudinally finely lined, transversely very finely ridged with wavy rows of very narrow, vertical lattices, sometimes also with lines of shallow pits;
tubercle triangularsubulate, (0.7–)1–1.3(–1.5) mm, base lunate, margins setulose proximally.
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 fusca
Rhynchospora microcarpa
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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