Rhynchospora debilis

Gale

Rhodora 46: 194, plate 826, figs. 5A, B. 1944.

Synonyms: Rhynchospora fascicularis var. debilis (Gale) Kükenthal
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 23. Mentioned on page 236.
Revision as of 21:08, 16 December 2019 by FNA>Volume Importer
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Plants perennial, cespitose, 20–45 cm; rhizomes absent. Culms erect to arching or spreading, leafy, ± filiform, ± terete, stiff to rather lax. Leaves exceeded by culm; blades linearfiliform, proximally shallowly concave, 1 mm, apex tapering, trigonous, blunt or broadly acute. Inflorescences: spikelet clusters 1–2, mostly compact, turbinate to hemispheric; leafy bracts setaceous, exceeding spikelet clusters. Spikelets dark redbrown, ovoid, 2–3 mm, apex acute; fertile scales obovate, 1.5–1.7(–2) mm, apex broadly rounded or retuse, midrib excurrent as cusp or mucro to 0.5 mm. Flowers: bristles 6 or vestigial, rarely reaching fruit midbody, antrorsely barbellate. Fruits 1–2 per spikelet,1.7–2 mm; body brown with large pale center, lenticular, broadly obovoid to ± orbicular, 1.2–1.5 × 1.4–1.6 mm; tubercle flat, triangular, concave-sided, 0.4–0.6 mm, sometimes apiculate.


Phenology: Fruiting late spring–fall.
Habitat: Sands and peats in low, open fields, bogs, seeps, low pinelands, savannas, and ditch banks
Elevation: 0–200 m

Distribution

V23 422-distribution-map.jpg

Ala., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., N.C., S.C., Tex., Va.

Discussion

Rhynchospora debilis is very similar to R. wrightiana except it has smaller spikelet clusters and more depressed fruit tubercles. It is a common invader of cutover and bulldozed low pineland where it assumes a lowspreading habit, its many culms radiating from the common center much like spokes in a wheel.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Rhynchospora debilis"
Robert Kral +
Ala. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, La. +, Miss. +, N.C. +, S.C. +, Tex. +  and Va. +
0–200 m +
Sands and peats in low, open fields, bogs, seeps, low pinelands, savannas, and ditch banks +
Fruiting late spring–fall. +
Rhynchospora fascicularis var. debilis +
Rhynchospora debilis +
Rhynchospora +
species +