Rhynchospora galeana Naczi, W.M. Knapp, & Gerry Moore. Short-bristle Beaksedge. Phen: Jul-Sep. Hab: Wet pine savannas and associated wetlands. Dist: Se. NC south to s. FL and west to s. MS; West Indies.

ID notes: Rhynchospora galeana forms dense clumps or tussocks of threadlike leaves (less than 1/2 mm wide). The wispy flowering stems stick out a bit and produce only 2-4 spikelets, each acutely pointed. The seeds have short, feathery bristles (vs. bristles as long as the seed body in R. oligantha), and a short blunt beak (vs. long and pointed in that species). The leaf tips of R. galeana are acute and minutely serrulate, while those of the closely related R. oligantha are blunt and smooth; these characters are, however, often difficult to determine.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: See Naczi, Knapp, and Moore (2010) for discussion of the need to replace the name R. breviseta because of an earlier-named Asian species.

Other Comments: This species will colonize disturbances (roadsides, powerline corridors), but not aggressively.

Synonymy ⓘ: = K3, K4, Naczi, Knapp, & Moore (2010); = Rhynchospora breviseta (Gale) Channell – FNA23, GW1, K1, RAB, WH3, Bridges & Orzell (2000), McMillan (2007), illegitimate name (a later homonym); = Rynchospora oligantha A.Gray var. breviseta Gale – Gale (1944); < Rhynchospora oligantha A.Gray – F, G; < Rynchospora oligantha A.Gray – S, S13

Links to other floras: = Rhynchospora breviseta - FNA23

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: OBL

Heliophily ⓘ: 9