Rhynchospora

Scientific name

Rhynchospora Vahl

Common names

white-top sedge, star sedge

Family

Cyperaceae

Native distribution

southern United States through to northern South America

Species cultivated

Rhynchospora colorata (L.) H. Pfeiff.

Adventive distribution

none

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

littoral littoral:
(adj) of or along the shore
to emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
sedge

Brief description

Rhizomatous; culms erect, triangular, ± ribbed. Leaves basalbasal:
(adj) at or pertaining to the base, or point of attachment
, alternatealternate:
(adj) (of leaves) bearing one leaf per node; placed singly on the stem at different heights
on lower portion of the culmculm:
(n) the stem of a grass or sedge
; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
linear, flat; apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
attenuate; base sheathing; marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
entireentire:
(adj) having a continuous margin that is not toothed or lobed
; venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
parallel. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
a terminalterminal:
(adj) at the apex
headhead:
(n) inflorescence consisting of small closely packed stalkless flowers or florets arising at the same level on a flattened axis; of several types, including: discoid (composed entirely of disk flowers) and radiate (composed of central disk flowers and marginal ray flowers)
; bracts 3-6, long, white at the base; spikelets ovoidovoid:
(adj) egg-shaped in three dimensions
, few to several-flowered, white or pale brown; glumes keeledkeeled:
(adj) having a keel; sharply creased
; perianthperianth:
(n) collective term for the calyx and corolla of a flower; also used for floral whorl(s) in which the calyx and corolla cannot be resolved; any of the leaves or bracts surrounding the sex organs of bryophytes
absent; stamens 2 or 3; stylestyle:
(n) in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary
branches long, stigmasstigmas:
(n) the portion of the pistil that is receptive to pollen
2.

Natural habitat

in marshy areas and shallow water

Additional comments

A large genus of over 300 species; Rhynchospora colorata is the most common species in the trade and is known by the synonym Dichromena colorata.