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- Cyperaceae
- Rhynchospora
- Rhynchospora scirpoides
Rhynchospora scirpoides — long-beaked 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.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Facts
Long-beaked beaksedge is mostly found on pond shores along the coastal plain of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Habitat
Shores of rivers or lakes
Characteristics
- Habitat
-
- aquatic
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Stem shape in cross-section
- the stem is round or oval in cross-section
- Leaf blade width
- 1–5 mm
- Leaf blade cross-section
-
- the leaf blade is flat or rolled in at the edges
- the leaf blade is triangular in cross-section
- 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
- 1.3–1.5 mm
- Leaf position on plant
- some leaf attachment points are above the midpoint of the stem
- Perianth composition
- there is no perianth on the plant
- Fruit cross-section
-
- the fruit is lenticular (lens-shaped) in cross-section
- the fruit is triangular to terete (circular) in cross-section
-
Flowers
- Floral bristle color
- NA
- Floral bristle number
- 0
- Floral bristle relative length
- NA
- Floral bristles
- NA
- Floral scale hairs
- there are no hairs on the floral scales
- Floral scale length
- 2.5–3.5 mm
- Floral scale nerves
- 1
- Floral scale shape
- the floral scales are ovate (roughly egg-shaped)
- Inflorescence bract angle
- the bracts are vertical or angled only slightly outwards
- 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 is no perianth on the plant
- Stamen number
-
- 1
- 2
- Stigma number
- 2
- floral bristle barbs
- NA
- plantlets budding at flower bases
- no
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene beak length
- 0 mm
- Achene surface texture
- the achene has tiny wrinkles that run cross-wise across the achene
- Achene tubercle relative width
- the tubercle is two thirds to about as wide as the achene
- Capsule relative length
- NA
- Fruit cross-section
-
- the fruit is lenticular (lens-shaped) in cross-section
- the fruit is triangular to terete (circular) in cross-section
- Fruit length
- 1.3–1.5 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
- 0.5–0.9 mm
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives only a single year or less
- 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
- the leaf blade is triangular in cross-section
- Leaf blade width
- 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
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- aquatic
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Specific habitat
- shores of rivers or lakes
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 20–100 cm
- Stem shape 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
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- Massachusetts
- uncommon (S-rank: S3), special concern (code: SC)
- Rhode Island
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), state endangered (code: SE)
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
8. Rhynchospora scirpoides (Torr.) Gray N
long-beaked beaksedge. Psilocarya scirpoides Torr. • CT, MA, RI. Sandy or peaty pond shores, primarily of the coastal plain.