Rhynchospora chapmanii

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Plants perennial, densely cespitose, 30–50 (–70) cm; rhizomes absent. Culms erect to excurved, filiform, leafy, stiff to lax. Leaves mostly slightly exceeded by culm; blades ± filiform, proximally flat to concave, distally tapering, to 1 mm wide, margins involute, apex trigonous, subulate. Inflorescences terminal; spikelet clusters 1 (–2), dense, broadly turbinate to hemispheric; longer leafy bracts 1–2 (–several), setaceous, overtopping inflorescence. Spikelets light-brown, narrowly ovoid, 2–2.5 (–3) mm, apex acute or acuminate; fertile scales 1.5–2 (–2.5) mm, apex acute, midrib excurrent as cusp or awn 0.5–0.9 mm. Flowers: bristles absent, rarely reduced to nubbins, or rarely 1, then shorter than fruit body. Fruits 1 per spikelet, 1–1.8 mm; body with dark-brown ends, broad pale midzone, lenticular, ± orbicular, 1–1.2 × 0.8–1 mm, surfaces smooth; margins sharp, flowing to tubercle; tubercle lowtriangular, 0.2–0.3 (–0.5) mm, sometimes apiculate.

Phenology: Fruiting summer–fall;
Elevation: 0–200 m

Ala., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., N.C., S.C.

Discussion

Rhynchospora chapmanii is a frequent invader of logged or otherwise disturbed pine savannas, often an aspect dominant. Its pale inflorescences are conspicuous masses in autumn.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa