Dichromena colorata (L.) Hitchc.
Rhynchospora drummondiana Steud.
Rhynchospora stellata (Lam.) Griseb.
Schoenus coloratus L.
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Rhynchospora colorata (L.) H. Pfeiffer Starrush whitetop, narrowleaf whitetop sedge, star sedge, white beak-sedge, whitetop sedge
This native perennial sedge has a preference for wet coastal areas, dunes, flatwoods, wet prairies, swales and roadside ditches. Plants: Grasslike clumps or solitary plants. Each is topped with 3-10 specialized green and white leaves make this species dramatic, and easily identified. The single showy “white flower” isn’t a flower it all, but rather specialized leaves (bracts), each up to 5" (13 cm) × ¹/₁₆-¼" (2-7 mm). Like many sedges, stems are triangular in cross section. Leaves: Grasslike, linear, arising from the base of the plant in clusters, spreading or erect, ¹/₃₂-⅛" (0.5-3 mm) wide. Flowers: A dense cluster of small spikelets ⅛-¼" (5-7 mm) long, nestled amidst the bracts. Each spikelet is white, ovoid, and contains several tiny flowers. They appear in June and July. Fruits: Spikelets mature to a yellow to mahogony color. Each spikelet contains several fruits, each ¹/₃₂-¹/₁₆" (1.5-1.7 mm) in size. Fruits appear in late spring to summer. These are similar: |
4/14/2015 · Long Pine Key, Everglades National Park, Florida
4/12/2015 · Shark Valley, Everglades National Park, Florida |
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Eriophorum vaginatum var. spissum |
Eriophorum virginicum |
You are here Rhynchospora colorata |
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| Plant | Stems (culms) are round, oval, or triangular in cross section. The stems are very thin, about 11.8 mils (0.3 mm), and densely packed into tussocks. | Stems are not branched, hairless, and 16-48" (40-121 cm) in height. They are single, or in small groups, with round or slightly triangular cross sections. | Grasslike clumps or solitary plants. Each is topped with a “flower” comprised of 3-10 specialized green and white leaves. The “petals” are really specialized leaves (bracts), each up to 5" (13 cm) × ¹/₁₆-¼" (2-7 mm). Stems are triangular in cross section. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Flowers | Flowers appear in a compact cluster at the tip of the stem, appearing elliptic at first, then more hemispheric as the plant matures. If you look closely, the numerous flowerheads are arranged in a spiral pattern. The cottony flowerheads are ¾-2" (1.9-5 cm) in size, erect (vs. nodding) and are white (vs. brownish). | Although they often look like a single tuft of cotton, the tuft is comprised of 2-10 densely packed spikelet clusters. The lowermost spikelets are wrapped in leafy bracts, like tiny ears of corn. Each spikelet is ⅛-⅜" (6-10 mm) long. Ten or more threadlike bristles—the “cotton”—extend from the base of each flower. The threads eventually become up to ¾" (2 cm) long, usually brown at the base, and somewhere between off white and brown or red-brown as the plant ages. The red-brown color distinguishes tawny cotton-grass from other cotton grasses. (More subtle identifiers include a single stamen per floret instead of 3, and multiple veins on the scales of the seedheads.) Flowers appear from Jun to Sep. | A dense cluster of small spikelets ⅛-¼" (5-7 mm) long, nestled amidst the bracts. Each spikelet is white, ovoid, and contains several tiny flowers. They appear in June and July. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leaves | There are a few basal, alternate leaves, and a few higher up, but they are easy to miss amongst the many stems. Each leaf is up to ¹/₃₂" (1 mm) wide, resembling a grass blade, and may be nearly as long as the stem. | Alternate, up to 12" (30 cm) long × ¹/₃₂-⅛" (1.5-4 mm) wide. They are linear, flat at the base, becoming triangular in cross section as they approach the tip, with parallel veins. They may be erect, or floppy. | Grasslike, linear, arising from the base of the plant in clusters, spreading or erect, ¹/₃₂-⅛" (0.5-3 mm) wide. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fruit | ¹/₁₆-⅛" (1.9-3.5 mm) long. They are triangular to rounded in cross-section. White bristles around the base of each flower extend in length, becoming ¼-¾" (8.3-19 mm) long, producing the “cotton.” Seeds (achenes) are ¹/₁₆-⅛" (1.9-3.5 mm) long, and shaped like teardrops. They are three-sided when viewed in cross section. | Fruits appear from July to September. The achenes are ¹/₁₆-⅛" (2.5-4 mm) long, shaped like a narrow ellipse with a triangular or rounded cross section. They are brown or black. | Spikelets mature to a yellow to mahogony color. Each spikelet contains several fruits, each ¹/₃₂-¹/₁₆" (1.5-1.7 mm) in size. Fruits appear in late spring to summer. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Habitats | Peaty bogs and acidic wetlands. | Wet, peaty, acidic soil, such as bogs, damp meadows, and conifer swamps. | Wet coastal areas, dunes, flatwoods, wet prairies, swales and roadside ditches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Wild | Wild | Wild | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kyllinga nemoralis
Online References:
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Rhynchospora colorata description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 16 Sep 2020.
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Range: Zones 7-10:
