Rhynchospora wrightiana Boeckeler. Wright's Beaksedge. Phen: Jul-Sep. Hab: Wet pine savannas. Dist: Se. VA south to c. FL and west to s. AL and s. MS; West Indies (Cuba, Puerto Rico).

ID notes:The very slender stems of Rhynchospora wrightiana are no taller than 5 dm, erect to leaning. It often has been confused with R. distans, but R. wrightiana differs in the spikelets dark brown (vs. reddish brown), leaves mostly less than 1 mm wide (vs. 1.3 mm or more wide), and the seed beak abruptly narrowed to a central slender extension (vs. simply triangular in R. distans). It may also be confused with R. debilis, but that plant has short seed bristles (at most half as long as the seed body vs. more than half as long in R. wrightiana).

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: Perhaps introgressing with R. distans on the outer Coastal Plain of NC. Leaves are most frequently filiform and < 1 mm wide; rarely flat and to 1.3 mm wide.

Synonymy: = FNA23, GW1, K1, K3, K4, RAB, Va, WH3, WI, Gale (1944), McMillan (2007); = n/a – C; ? Rynchospora brachychaeta C.Wright – S13; < Rynchospora wrightiana – S

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: OBL
• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: OBL

Heliophily: 9