Rhynchospora cephalantha

A. Gray

Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 3: 218. 1835.

IllustratedEndemic
Synonyms: Rhynchospora cephalantha var. attenuata Gale Rhynchospora cephalantha var. pleiocephala Fernald & Gale
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 23. Treatment on page 212. Mentioned on page 202, 213.
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Plants perennial, cespitose, 40–100 (–150) cm; rhizomes absent. Culms arching, leafy, obscurely and convexly trigonous, multiribbed, slender to stoutish. Principal leaves overtopped by culm; blades linear, flat proximally, 1.5–3 mm wide, apex tapering, trigonous. Inflorescences: spikelet clusters 3–several, widely spaced, often equidistant, mostly hemispheric to globose, occasionally lobed, 1–2 cm thick; bracteal leaves much exceeding subtended inflorescence. Spikelets dark redbrown to dark-brown, lanceellipsoid to ellipsoid, 4–5 (–6) mm, apex acute; fertile scales elliptic, 3–3.5 (–4.5) mm, apex acute, midribs 3, laterals indistinct. Flowers: perianth bristles 6, reaching tubercle tip, retrorsely (rarely antrorsely) barbellate. Fruits 1 (–2) per spikelet, 3.5–4 (–4.2) mm; body brown with pale center, obovoid distal to stipe, lenticular, 2–2.3 × 1–1.5 (–2) mm; tubercle triangularsubulate, (1–) 1.5–2 mm, at least 0.5 mm wide at base.


Phenology: Fruiting summer–fall.
Habitat: Sandy silts, sands, and peats of shores, boggy streams, seeps, savannas, and savanna bogs
Elevation: 0–200 m

Distribution

V23 365-distribution-map.jpg

Ala., Del., Fla., Ga., La., Md., Miss., N.J., N.Y., N.C., S.C., Tex., Va.

Discussion

North American plants referred to Rhynchospora axillaris (Lamarck) Britton [Phaeocephala axillare (Lamarck) House by N. L. Britton and A. Brown (1913) and J. K. Small (1933)] are actually R. cephalantha. A photograph of the type specimen of Schoenus axillaris Lamarck (from P) reveals what appears to be an immature top of S. glomeratus [R. glomerata (Linnaeus) Vahl].

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"shortened" is not a number."wider" is not a number.

... more about "Rhynchospora cephalantha"
acute;acute;trigonous;tapering +
Robert Kral +
A. Gray +
2-lobed +  and lunate +
scabridulous +  and scabrid +
v--shaped +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.23 cm2.3 mm <br />0.0023 m <br />) +
warty +, papillate +, alveolate +  and pitted +
lenticular +  and obovoid +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
glumaceous +  and foliaceous +
2-ranked +  and arranged +
ascending +  and appressed +
parallel +  and divergent +
terete +, rolled +  and plicate +
multiribbed +  and leafy +
trigonous +
slender +
Ala. +, Del. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, La. +, Md. +, Miss. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, S.C. +, Tex. +  and Va. +
0–200 m +
distalmost +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.42 cm4.2 mm <br />0.0042 m <br />) +
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
biconvex +  and trigonous +
Sandy silts, sands, and peats of shores, boggy streams, seeps, savannas, and savanna bogs +
racemose +, corymbose +  and paniculate +
erect +, rarely +  and spreading +
3-ranked +  and polystichous +
cauline +  and basal +
keeled;terete;keeled;terete +
revolute +  and involute +
decurrent +
plumed +  and barbed +
deciduous +  and persistent +
shorter or longer +
of 2-12(-20) bristles +
Fruiting summer–fall. +
2-3(-4)-carpellate +
3 (?) +  and 1 (?) +
Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York +
adventitious +
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
basal +  and proximal +
2-keeled +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
cylindric +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
equidistant +, spaced +  and cluster +
dark redbrown +  and dark-brown +
3 +  and several +
ellipsoid;lobed;mostly hemispheric;globose +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
2 +  and 3 +
septate +, hollow +  and solid +
compressed +, terete +  and trigonous +
papillate +
cleft +, 2-fid +  and undivided +
Rhynchospora cephalantha var. attenuata +  and Rhynchospora cephalantha var. pleiocephala +
Rhynchospora cephalantha +
Rhynchospora +
species +
sulcate +  and 2-edged +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
flattened +, terete +, triangular +  and conic +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br /> (150 cm1,500 mm <br />1.5 m <br />) +
plant +  and cespitose +