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slender beaksedge

long-beak beaksedge

Habit Plants perennial, densely cespitose or solitary, 10–100 cm; rhizomes absent. Plants annual, cespitose, (20–)30–80(–100) cm; rhizomes absent.
Culms

mostly lax, ascending to leaningexcurved, leafy, linear to filiform, terete.

erect or ascending, leafy, nearly terete or obscurely angular, many-ribbed, stiff.

Leaves

shorter than culm;

blades ascending, filiform to narrowly linear, proximally flat, 0.5–1.5(–2.5) mm wide, margins distally strongly involute, apex trigonous, tapering.

exceeding or exceeded by inflorescences;

blades linear, proximally flat, 1–5 mm wide, apex trigonous, tapering.

Inflorescences

spikelet clusters 1–3(–4), proximalmost distant, dense to sparse, narrowly turbinate to hemispheric;

peduncles and branches ascending; leafy bracts linearsetaceous, mostly overtopping clusters.

terminal and axillary, clusters of corymbs 1–5, diffuse, branches ascending to divaricate; leafy bracts much exceeding axillary corymbs.

Spikelets

redbrown, ovoid to lanceoloid, (3.5–)4–5 mm, apex acute;

fertile scales ovate, 3–4.5 mm, apex acute, mucronate to awnedcuspidate.

redbrown to dark brown, ovoidlanceoloid, 3–6(–7) mm, apex acute;

fertile scales several, narrowly ovate, 2.5–3.5 mm, apex narrowly acute;

midrib included or shortexcurrent.

Flowers

bristles 6, mostly reaching tip of tubercle or beyond, antrorsely barbellate.

perianth absent.

Fruits

1–3 per spikelet, (2.5–)3–3.5(–4.1) mm;

body dark brown with small pale center, lenticular, broadly ellipsoid to suborbicular, 1.3–2.1 × 1.3–1.5 mm, smooth, margins narrow, flowing into tubercle;

tubercle triangular-subulate, compressed, mostly 1.5–2 mm.

1.3–1.5 mm;

body brown to blackish, tumidly lenticular, nearly orbicular, 0.6–1 × 0.6–1 mm, margins distinct, narrow, flowing into base of tubercle;

tubercle flat, narrowly triangular, at least 0.5 mm high, base broadly 2-lobed, apex acuminate.

Rhynchospora gracilenta

Rhynchospora scirpoides

Phenology Fruiting late spring–fall. Fruiting summer–fall or all year (south).
Habitat Moist to wet sandy peaty substrates in ditches, bogs, seeps, wet savannas, barrens, and flatwoods Moist to wet sands or peats of banks of streams and ditches, pond and lakeshores, depressions in savannas, marshes, often in moist to wet disturbed areas
Elevation 0–400 m (0–1300 ft) 0–200 m (0–700 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; DE; FL; GA; LA; MD; MS; NC; NJ; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; Central America; West Indies (Cuba)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; CT; DE; FL; GA; IN; LA; MA; MD; MI; MS; NC; NJ; NY; RI; SC; TX; VA; WI; West Indies
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Through the southern coastal plain are widerleaved examples of Rhynchospora gracilenta that are sparingly cespitose to solitary-stemmed, often with but a single terminal inflorescence with dense clusters of spikelets (var. diversifolia). That would be a tenable designation were it not for the large numbers of populations with intermediate habit.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 23, p. 236. FNA vol. 23, p. 217.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Rhynchospora Cyperaceae > Rhynchospora
Sibling taxa
R. alba, R. baldwinii, R. brachychaeta, R. breviseta, R. caduca, R. californica, R. capillacea, R. capitellata, R. careyana, R. cephalantha, R. chalarocephala, R. chapmanii, R. ciliaris, R. colorata, R. compressa, R. corniculata, R. crinipes, R. curtissii, R. debilis, R. decurrens, R. divergens, R. elliottii, R. eximia, R. fascicularis, R. fernaldii, R. filifolia, R. floridensis, R. fusca, R. globularis, R. glomerata, R. grayi, R. harperi, R. harveyi, R. indianolensis, R. inexpansa, R. inundata, R. knieskernii, R. kunthii, R. latifolia, R. macra, R. macrostachya, R. megalocarpa, R. megaplumosa, R. microcarpa, R. microcephala, R. miliacea, R. mixta, R. nitens, R. nivea, R. odorata, R. oligantha, R. pallida, R. perplexa, R. pineticola, R. pleiantha, R. plumosa, R. punctata, R. pusilla, R. rariflora, R. recognita, R. scirpoides, R. solitaria, R. stenophylla, R. thornei, R. torreyana, R. tracyi, R. wrightiana
R. alba, R. baldwinii, R. brachychaeta, R. breviseta, R. caduca, R. californica, R. capillacea, R. capitellata, R. careyana, R. cephalantha, R. chalarocephala, R. chapmanii, R. ciliaris, R. colorata, R. compressa, R. corniculata, R. crinipes, R. curtissii, R. debilis, R. decurrens, R. divergens, R. elliottii, R. eximia, R. fascicularis, R. fernaldii, R. filifolia, R. floridensis, R. fusca, R. globularis, R. glomerata, R. gracilenta, R. grayi, R. harperi, R. harveyi, R. indianolensis, R. inexpansa, R. inundata, R. knieskernii, R. kunthii, R. latifolia, R. macra, R. macrostachya, R. megalocarpa, R. megaplumosa, R. microcarpa, R. microcephala, R. miliacea, R. mixta, R. nitens, R. nivea, R. odorata, R. oligantha, R. pallida, R. perplexa, R. pineticola, R. pleiantha, R. plumosa, R. punctata, R. pusilla, R. rariflora, R. recognita, R. solitaria, R. stenophylla, R. thornei, R. torreyana, R. tracyi, R. wrightiana
Synonyms Phaeocephalum gracilentum, R. drummondiana, R. gracilenta var. diversifolia, R. trichophylla Psilocarya scirpoides
Name authority A. Gray: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 3: 216. (1835) (Torrey) Grisebach: Cat. Pl. Cub., 247. (1866)
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