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Key to Rhynchospora

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Show caption*© Scott Ward 1 Tubercles 3-23 mm long; style simple or bifid only at the tip; [subgenus Haplostylae]  Key to Rhynchospora, Key A: beaksedges with tubercles 3-23 mm long [subgenus Haplostylae; sections Longirostres and Polycephalae]

1 Tubercles < 3 mm long; style divided into 2 slender stigmatic branches; [subgenus Diplostylae].

Show caption*© Gary P. Fleming   2 Inflorescence bracts several, foliaceous, basally bright white, reflexed to horizontally spreading; [subgenus Diplostylae; section Dichromena]  Key to Rhynchospora, Key B: beaksedges with basally-white bracts (White-bracted Sedges) [subgenus Diplostylae; section Dichromena]

2 Inflorescence bracts 0-several, capillary to foliaceous, green throughout (stramineous in age), variously oriented.

Show caption*© Scott Ward     3 Bristles present, plumose (at least towards their bases); [subgenus Diplostylae; section Plumosae]  Key to Rhynchospora, Key C: beaksedges with plumose bristles [subgenus Diplostylae; section Plumosae]

3 Bristles absent, or present and smooth or minutely barbed.

Show caption*© Scott Ward       4 Bristles present, retrorsely barbed (at least towards their tips), or antrorsely barbed and straplike (flattened); [subgenus Diplostylae; section Albae]  Key to Rhynchospora, Key D: beaksedges with bristles retrorsely barbed (at least distally) or antrorsely barbed and straplike (flattened) [subgenus Diplostylae; section Albae]

4 Bristles absent, or present and smooth, or antrorsely barbed and filiform.

Show caption*© Scott Ward         5 Achene surface smooth, minutely pitted, or finely striate (not ridged, rugose, or reticulate); [subgenus Diplostylae; sections Chapmaniae, Fasciculares, and Fuscae]  Key to Rhynchospora, Key E: beaksedges with bristles smooth, or antrorsely barbed and filiform, or absent, the achene surface smooth, minutely pitted, or finely striate [subgenus Diplostylae; sections Chapmaniae, Fasciculares, and Fuscae]

Show caption*© Scott Ward         5 Achene surface transversely ridged, rugose, or honeycombed-reticulate (sometimes faintly so); [subgenus Diplostylae; sections Globulares, Harveyae, Mixtae, Psilocarya, Pusillae, and Rariflorae]  Key to Rhynchospora, Key F: beaksedges with bristles smooth, or antrorsely barbed and filiform, or absent, the achene surface transversely ridged, rugose, or honeycombed-reticulate [subgenus Diplostylae; sections Globulares, Harveyae, Mixtae, Psilocarya, Pusillae, Rariflorae]