Rhynchospora chalarocephala Fernald & Gale. Loose-headed Beaksedge. Phen: Jul-Sep. Hab: Pine savannas, limesink ponds, and swamps, often weedy and occurring in abundance on wet roadsides and in powerline corridors. Dist: S. NJ south to c. FL and west to LA; disjunct in nw. GA (Jones & Coile 1988) and sc. TN (Coffee and Warren counties).

ID notes:Rhynchospora chalarocephala is similar to R. cephalantha var. attenuata but its stems are always erect (vs. leaning or lazy), and the heads are much darker brown and never quite hemispherical. It is similar to R. capitellata but R. chalarocephala occurs mainly in the Coastal Plain and has only one seed per spikelet versus 2-3 in R. capitellata species, which has a generally more northern and inland distribution.

Origin/Endemic status: Endemic

Synonymy: = C, ETx1, F, G, GW1, K1, K3, K4, NY, RAB, Tat, Tn, Va, W, WH3, Ciafré & Naczi (2022), Gale (1944), McMillan (2007); < Rhynchospora chalarocephala Fernald & Gale – FNA23; < Rynchospora axillaris (Lam.) Britton – S, S13

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: OBL
• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: OBL (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
• Great Plains: OBL (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
• Northcentral & Northeast: OBL (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)

Heliophily: 8