Rhynchospora stenophylla |
Rhynchospora odorata |
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coastal plain beaksedge |
fragrant beaksedge |
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Habit | Plants perennial, densely cespitose, 30–60(–90) cm; rhizomes forking, compact. | Plants perennial, cespitose, 100–180 cm; rhizomes often present, short, scaly. |
Culms | lax, leafy toward base, filiform, ± terete. |
erect to ascending, leafy, slender, angular. |
Leaves | ascending, exceeded by culm; blades filiform, to 0.5 mm, margins mostly involute, apex trigonous, tapering. |
exceeded by culm; blades linear, proximally flat, 3–6 mm wide, apex tapering, trigonous, subulate. |
Inflorescences | 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. |
of terminal and axillary clusters, 3–5, proximalmost widely spaced, turbinate or lobed, fascicles dense, branches ascending; leafy bracts exceeding all but proximalmost clusters. |
Spikelets | redbrown, fusiformlanceoloid, 5 mm, apex acute; fertile scales lanceolate, 3.5–4.5 mm, apex acute or acuminate, midrib included or shortexcurrent. |
rich redbrown, ovoid, (4–)5–6(–7) mm, apex acuminate; fertile scales ovate, (3.5–)4–5 mm, apex acuminate, midrib short or longexcurrent. |
Flowers | perianth bristles 6, exceeding tubercle base, antrorsely barbellate, basally setose. |
perianth bristles 6, reaching past tubercle, antrorsely barbellate. |
Fruits | 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. |
mostly 3–4(–7) per spikelet, 3 mm with pedicellar joint and tubercle; body pale yellowbrown, obovoidlenticular, 1.4–1.7 × 1.4 × 1.5; surfaces transversely finely wavyrugulose, intervals vertically rectangularalveolate; pedicellar joint 0.3–0.6 mm; tubercle compressed, triangularacuminate, 0.5–0.6 (–1) mm, margin setulose. |
Rhynchospora stenophylla |
Rhynchospora odorata |
|
Phenology | Fruiting spring–summer. | Fruiting summer–fall or all year (south). |
Habitat | Sands and peats of bogs, seeps, pond shores, flatwoods, and savannas | Sands and peats of swamps, marshes, interdunal swales, low meadows, savannas |
Elevation | 0–200 m (0–700 ft) | 0–200 m (0–700 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX |
AL; FL; GA; NC; SC; West Indies (Bahamas, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica)
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Discussion | 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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Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 221. | FNA vol. 23, p. 223. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Phaeocephalum stipitatum, R. stipitata | |
Name authority | Chapman: Fl. South. U.S., 525. (1860) | C. Wright ex Grisebach: Cat. Pl. Cub., 242. (1866) |
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