Rhynchospora inundata
Rhynchospora crinipes
inundated beakrush, narrow-fruit beaksedge, narrowfruit horned beaksedge
mosquito beaksedge
stiffly erect, leafy, triangular, multiribbed.
lax, leafy, mostly excurved, slender.
erect, distal ones overtopping inflorescence;
principal blades flat proximally, trigonous distally, 3–10 mm wide, apex attenuate.
shorter than culm;
blades ascending, narrowly linear, proximally flat, 2–4(–5) mm wide, apex trigonous, short-subulate, tapering.
terminal and axillary, clusters of corymbs (1–)2–3, open, spikelet clusters loose;
bracteal leaves mostly overtopping corymbs.
spikelet clusters 3–7(–10), dense, all but most distal widely spaced, broadly turbinate to ovate or hemispheric.
pale redbrown, narrowly lanceoloid, (9–)11–14 mm, apex acuminate;
fertile scales lanceolate, 9–13 mm, apex acuminate, midrib shortexcurrent or not.
light red-brown, lanciform, 5 mm, apex acuminate;
fertile scales lanceolate, 4–4.5 mm, apex acuminate, midrib excurrent as awn.
perianth bristles 5–6, extending at least 5 mm beyond tubercle base, antrorsely barbellate.
bristles 6, reaching past tubercle base, usually to or slightly past its tip, antrorsely barbellate.
1–2 per spikelet, 15–20 mm;
body stipitate, obovoid to oblong, compressed, 4–5 × 2–3 mm, margins thick;
surfaces concave, horizontally finely striate, minutely cancellate;
tubercle stoutbased, grooved, subulate, 10–15 mm, setulose.
2(–4) per spikelet;
stipe and receptacle curled-setose, (0.5–)0.6–08(–1) mm;
body glossy, brown with pale center, narrowly obovoid-lenticular, 1.2–1.5 mm, surfaces minutely striate, sometimes transversely minutely rugulose with wavy rows of dark minute dots;
margins narrow, strong, flowing to tubercle;
tubercle narrowly triangular, slightly concave-sided, flattened, setulose-ciliate, 0.7–1.1 mm.
Rhynchospora inundata
Rhynchospora crinipes
Rhynchospora inundata is largely confined to lower Coastal Plain terraces, mostly along the present coast. Typical plants have narrow fruit bodies and narrow inflorescences of sparse clusters, well overtopped by leaves and erect leafy bracts. By contrast, plants of R. careyana have broader fruits, shorter perianths, and larger, broader inflorescences that overtop most or all leaves and bracts. In general, plants of R. careyana are more robust and grow in more acid sites than those of R. inundata. Southward in the Atlantic Coastal and Gulf Coastal plains are broad areas of ecotone where the two species intergrade.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Clumps of Rhynchospora crinipes are often toppled by floodwaters, these clumps then can root from lower nodes. When clusters of spikelets have ripened fruit, these will germinate while still attached to the parent culm.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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