One Spike Beak Sedge

Rhynchospora solitaria appears to be the least common North American species of Rhynchospora with two of the five given localities apparently lost. The name “solitaria” is deceptive; the plants sometimes form small tufts of culms. The most distinctive feature in the field is the attractive orange brown color of the narrow, acuminate, bristle scaled spikelets.

Plants perennial, solitary or cespitose, 50–60 cm; rhizomes absent. Culms erect to ascending, narrowly linear, wandlike, terete, leafy proximal to middle. Leaves erect to ascending; blades proximally flat, 2.5–3.5 mm wide, apex tapering, tip abruptly blunt. Inflorescences terminal, cluster of spikelets crowded, broadly turbinate to hemispheric, to 1.5 cm wide; leafy bracts linear setaceous, slightly exceeding cluster. Spikelets orange brown, lance fusiform, 6–7 mm, apex acuminate; fertile scales lance ovate, 4–5 mm, apex acuminate with excurved awn to 1 mm. Flowers: bristles 3–4, some reaching tubercle tip, antrorsely barbellate. Fruits 1–2 per spikelet, 2–2.1 mm; body brown with paler center, obovoid lenticular, 1.5–1.7 × 1.2–1.3 mm, margins flowing to tubercle; surfaces finely transversely striate with minute pits; tubercle low triangular, 0.3–0.5 mm.

Ga.

Fruiting summer–fall.

Sandy peat of depressions in pine flatwoods savannas, edges of hillside bogs; of conservation concern; 0–200m.