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- Rhynchospora alba
Rhynchospora alba — white beaksedge
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Facts
White beaksedge is found in wet soils of bogs and fens in all New England states. As the name suggests, it has distinctive white to pale yellow-brown spikelets.
Habitat
Bogs, fens, wetland margins (edges of wetlands)
Characteristics
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Stem shape in cross-section
-
- the stem is roughly triangular in cross-section
- the stem is round or oval in cross-section
- Leaf blade width
- 0.5–1.5 mm
- Leaf blade cross-section
- the leaf blade is flat or rolled in at the edges
- Inflorescence position
-
- the inflorescence emerges from an axil, or most of its parts do so
- the inflorescence is at the tip of the plant
- Inflorescence branching
- the inflorescence is branched
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is like a seed, and surrounded by scales
- Fruit length
- 1.5–2 mm
- Leaf position on plant
- some leaf attachment points are above the midpoint of the stem
- Perianth composition
- there are bristles attached at the base of the achene
- Fruit cross-section
- the fruit is biconvex or elliptic (widest in the middle and tapering to both ends) in cross-section
-
Flowers
- Floral bristle color
- the bristles are pale brown to brown
- Floral bristle number
- 8 or more
- Floral bristle relative length
- the bristles are longer than the achene
- Floral bristles
- the bristles are straight or slightly curved
- Floral scale hairs
- there are no hairs on the floral scales
- Floral scale length
- 3–4 mm
- Floral scale shape
- the floral scales are elliptic (widest in the middle and tapering toward each end)
- Flower number per cluster
- 2-5
- Inflorescence bract angle
- the bracts are angled outwards near horizontal or reflexed downwards
- Inflorescence bract number
-
- there are six or more bracts per inflorescence
- there are two to five bracts per inflorescence
- there is just one bract on the inflorescence
- Inflorescence bract position (Sparganium)
- NA
- Inflorescence bracts
- there are at least two bracts, and they are either flat or folded or rolled in at the edges
- Inflorescence branching
- the inflorescence is branched
- Inflorescence crowding
- the inflorescence is at least somewhat spread out, with at least one branch coming from the main stem
- Inflorescence position
-
- the inflorescence emerges from an axil, or most of its parts do so
- the inflorescence is at the tip of the plant
- Inflorescence shape
- the aggregations within the inflorescence are roughly circular (not flattened) in cross-section
- Inflorescence type
- there are two or more flowers, spikes or flower clusters on a branched inflorescence
- Perianth composition
- there are bristles attached at the base of the achene
- Stamen number
-
- 2
- 3
- Stigma number
- 2
- Style division
- the top two thirds of the style is divided
- floral bristle barbs
- the bristles have tiny barbs on them
- plantlets budding at flower bases
- no
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene beak length
- 0 mm
- Achene surface texture
- the achene is smooth (it has no detectable texture)
- Achene tubercle relative width
- the tubercle is one half to two thirds as wide as the achene
- Capsule relative length
- NA
- Fruit cross-section
- the fruit is biconvex or elliptic (widest in the middle and tapering to both ends) in cross-section
- Fruit length
- 1.5–2 mm
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is like a seed, and surrounded by scales
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is an achene (dry, seed-like fruit) with a tubercle (a swelling or projection, usually of a different color or texture) on it
- Locules in capsule
- NA
- Seed length
- 0 mm
- Seed tail relative length
- 0 mm
- Seed tails
- NA
- Tubercle height
- 0.5–1.2 mm
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Rhizome thickness
- 0 mm
- Underground organs
- there are only slender roots on the plant
-
Leaves
- Auricle length
- 0 mm
- Auricle texture
- NA
- Auricles
- there are no auricles on the leaf sheath
- Leaf blade cross-section
- the leaf blade is flat or rolled in at the edges
- Leaf blade length
- 0.5–1.5 mm
- Leaf blade width
- 0.5–1.5 mm
- Leaf form
- all the leaves hold their form out of water
- Leaf position on plant
- some leaf attachment points are above the midpoint of the stem
- Leaf septa
- the leaf blades do not have transverse septa
- Leaf sheath hairs
- the leaf sheathes are without hairs
- Pedicel length (Typha)
- 0 mm
- Stem leaf blades
- there are fully-developed leaves with leaf blades on the main stem
- Width of seed-producing inflorescence
- 15–25 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- bogs
- edges of wetlands
- fens
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 6–75 cm
- Stem shape in cross-section
-
- the stem is roughly triangular in cross-section
- the stem is round or oval in cross-section
- Stem texture near tip
- the stem feels smooth near the tip
Wetland status
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Maine
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
- Massachusetts
- widespread (S-rank: S5)
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
1. Rhynchospora alba (L.) Vahl N
white beaksedge. CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Wet, organic soils of bogs and acidic fens.