CYPERACEAE

SEDGE FAMILY

Raymond Cranfill, except as specified

Annual or perennial herb, often rhizomed, often of wet open places, generally monoecious; roots fibrous, hairy
Stem generally 3-sided
Leaves often 3-ranked; sheath generally closed; ligule generally 0; blade (0) various, parallel-veined
Inflorescence: spikelets variously clustered; flowers generally sessile in axil of flower bract
Flower small, generally wind-pollinated; perianth 0 or bristle-like; stamens generally 3, anthers attached at base, 4-chambered; ovary superior, 1-chambered, 1-ovuled, style 2–3-branched
Fruit: achene, generally 3-sided
Genera in family: ± 110 genera, 3600 species: worldwide, especially temp
Reference: [Tucker 1987 J Arnold Arbor 68:361–445]
Difficult: taxa differ in technical characters of inflorescence and fruit.

RHYNCHOSPORA

BEAKED-RUSH

Perennial
Stem rounded or 3-sided, leafy, solid
Leaves sheathing
Inflorescence generally subtended by 1+ awn-like bracts; spikelets 1–many in generally terminal clusters; flower bracts spiraled, lower generally sterile, upper generally staminate, others bisexual
Flower: perianth bristles 5–many, persistent; stamens 3; style 2-branched, base much expanded, persistent as tubercle on fruit
Fruit 2-sided
Species in genus: ± 200 species: worldwide, especially tropical
Etymology: (Greek: beaked seed)
Reference: [Gale 1944 Rhodora 46:89–134;159–197;207–249;255–278]

Native

R. globularis (Chapm.) Small var. globularis

ROUND-HEADED BEAKED-RUSH

Inflorescence: flower bracts tawny to whitish
Flower: perianth bristles 5–6, < 1/2 fruit, barbs ascending
Fruit 1.2–1.6 mm, body ovoid to ± spheric, dark, strongly ridged; tubercle not chalky- white
Ecology: Marshes, seeps
Elevation: < 500 m.
Bioregional distribution: s Outer North Coast Ranges (Pitkin Marsh, Sonoma Co.)
Distribution outside California: also e N.America
Remarkably separated from e North America range.