Rhynchospora plumosa Elliott. Plumed Beaksedge. Phen: May-Aug. Hab: Pine savannas, sandhill-pocosin ecotones, especially where the sandy surface dries out in summer (on spodosols such as the Leon soil series). Dist: NC south to s. FL and west to se. TX; West Indies (Cuba); Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua.

ID notes:Rhynchospora plumosa is a short plant, up to 4.5 dm tall, and with very narrow, filiform leaves. A look at a seed narrows down the ID choices to just a few species of Rhynchospora with feathery seed bristles; see Rhynchospora Key C. In this species the spikelets form dense clusters (cylindrical in outline), versus an open inflorescence composed of a few slender branches in R. oligantha and R. galeana.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Synonymy: = Naczi, Knapp, & Thomas (2012); < Rhynchospora plumosa Elliott – Ar, ETx1, FNA23, GW1, K1, K3, K4, RAB, Tx, WH3, Bridges & Orzell (2000), McMillan (2007); > Rynchospora plumosa – S, S13; > Rynchospora semiplumosa A.Gray – S, (as to type)

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
• Great Plains: FACW (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)

Heliophily: 8