Rhynchospora capitellata — brownish beaksedge
![Flowers and fruits: Rhynchospora capitellata. ~ By Elizabeth Farnsworth. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/rhynchospora-capitellata-ff-efarnsworth.jpg)
![Inflorescences: Rhynchospora capitellata. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/rhynchospora-capitellata-in-ahaines.jpg)
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Facts
Brownish beaksedge appears to persist in the seedbank and be able to quickly vegetate ephemeral habitats such as seasonnal pools and mud flats.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes
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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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- 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
- Leaf blade width
- 1.5–3 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
- 2–3 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 slightly or strongly colored with reddish brown
- Floral bristle number
- 5-7
- 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
- 2.7–3 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
- 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
- 2–3 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
- 0.8–1.6 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
- 1.5–3.5 mm
- Leaf blade width
- 1.5–3 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
- 10–15 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
- shores of rivers or lakes
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 20–100 cm
- Stem shape in cross-section
- the stem is roughly triangular in cross-section
- Stem texture near tip
- the stem feels smooth near the tip
Wetland status
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
In New England
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.
- Massachusetts
- widespread (S-rank: S5)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
3. Rhynchospora capitellata (Michx.) Vahl N
brownish beaksedge. Rhynchospora glomerata (L.) Vahl var. capitellata (Michx.) Kükenth. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Organic soil wetlands, meadows, peaty pond shores, seasonally wet borrow pits.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Rhynchospora fusca:
- base of fruit narrowed but not so much as to form a stalk-like base and perianth bristles that surround fruit with minute, upward pointed barbs (vs. R. capitellata, with the base of fruit narrowed to a stalk-like base and perianth bristles that surround fruit with minute, downward pointed barbs).
- Rhynchospora capillacea:
- leaf blades filiform, 0.2–0.4 mm wide, spikes all ascending, in ovoid to ellipsoid clusters, and achene body elliptic in outline, 1.5–2 mm long (vs. R. capitellata, with leaf blades +/- flat, 1.5–3 mm wide, basal spikes of each cluster spreading, the spikes in turbinate to hemispherical clusters, nad achene body obovate in outline 1.2–1.5 mm long).
Synonyms
- Rhynchospora glomerata (L.) Vahl. var. capitellata (Michx.) Kükenth.