Rhynchospora harperi
Rhynchospora stenophylla
Harper's beaksedge
coastal plain beaksedge
erect to excurved, leafybased, narrowly linear, ± terete.
lax, leafy toward base, filiform, ± terete.
shorter than culm;
blades ascending, narrowly linear, proximally flat or margins slightly involute, 0.5–1(–2) mm wide, distally canaliculate, apex trigonous, tapering, subulate.
ascending, exceeded by culm;
blades filiform, to 0.5 mm, margins mostly involute, apex trigonous, tapering.
spikelet clusters 1–3, laterals 0–2, all turbinate to hemispheric, terminal internode usually excurved; leafy bracts setaceous, overtopping inflorescence.
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, lanceoloid, 5–7 mm, apex acute;
fertile scales lanceolate, (2.5–)4–5 mm, apex acute to acuminate;
midrib paralleled by several indistinct ribs, excurrent as short awns.
redbrown, fusiformlanceoloid, 5 mm, apex acute;
fertile scales lanceolate, 3.5–4.5 mm, apex acute or acuminate, midrib included or shortexcurrent.
bristles 6, reaching from mid tubercle to beyond tip.
perianth bristles 6, exceeding tubercle base, antrorsely barbellate, basally setose.
3(–4) per spikelet, 2.1–2.5 mm;
stipe and receptacle 0.2–0.3 mm, sparsely setose and setulose;
body glossy, brown with pale center, obovoid-lenticular, 1.1–1.5 × 1–1.1 mm, surfaces finely longitudinally lined, variably low papillatecancellate, also often transversely with wavy lines of dark dots;
tubercle flattened, triangular-subulate, (0.8–)0.9–1(–1.1) mm, setulose-ciliate.
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 harperi
Rhynchospora stenophylla
Rhynchospora harperi is most abundant in a very special habitat referred to here as the “Hypericum pond.” These are typically shallow ponds in pine savannas, frequently ringed by stands of Nyssa, Taxodium, Ilex, and Cyrilla, but most of the pond itself is dominated by one or more myriandrous shrubby Hypericum species. Here R. harperi is distinguished from other species by the often abrupt bend of its ultimate internode.
(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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