Fly beaksedge (Rhynchospora holoschoenoides, Revista Sudamer. Bot. 9: 157 (1953))

Family: Cyperaceae

Author: (Rich.) Herter

Bibliography: Revista Sudamer. Bot. 9: 157 (1953)

Year: 1953

Status: accepted

Rank: species

Genus: Rhynchospora

Vegetable: False

Observations: Mexico to Trop. America, Trop. & S. Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius

Description

Fly beaksedge, known scientifically as Rhynchospora holoschoenoides, is a distinctive member of the Cyperaceae family. First described in depth within the pages of Revista Sudamer. Bot. in 1953, this species was cataloged by the botanist Herter, building upon Rich.’s earlier classification work.

This perennial sedge is characterized by its slender, grass-like stems and inflorescences that bear a striking resemblance to beaks, thus inspiring its common name. Its adaptive range is vast, extending from the tropical regions of Mexico down through Central America, and further south into various parts of Tropical America. Additionally, it has established a presence in tropical and southern Africa as well as on the islands of Madagascar and Mauritius.

Ecologically, Fly beaksedge thrives in moist, marshy environments, often dominating wetland areas where it can leverage its robust root system to outcompete other vegetation. This plant plays a vital role in the ecosystem, providing habitat and nourishment for various insect and bird species.

Given its widespread habitat and ecological significance, Fly beaksedge is a species of interest for botanists and ecologists alike, offering insights into the adaptive strategies of wetland flora and the intricate dynamics of tropical and subtropical ecosystems.

Common Names

Eng: fly beaksedge
En: Fly beaksedge, Fly Beak Sedge
Fr: Rhynchospore rugueux

Synonyms

• Rhynchospora sparganioides (Bojer)
• Rhynchospora triceps ((Vahl) Hochst.)
• Rhynchospora schoenoides (Britton)
• Schoenus cyperoides (Sw.)
• Ephippiorhynchium polycephalum ((Nees) Nees)
• Rhynchospora arechavaletae f. pleiocephala (Osten)
• Ephippiorhynchium tenuirostre (Nees)
• Rhynchospora arechavaletae var. ostenii ((Kük.) Kük.)
• Rhynchospora tenuirostris ((Nees) Kunth)
• Cephaloschoenus polycephalus (Nees)
• Rhynchospora globulifera (Link)
• Dichromena cyperoides ((Mart.) J.F.Macbr.)
• Mariscus pilulifer (G.Bertol.)
• Cephaloschoenus oligocephalus (Hochst.)
• Schoenus fragifer (Rudge)
• Rhynchospora sphaerocephala (Boeckeler)
• Rhynchospora mauritii (Steud.)
• Schoenus polycephalus (Pers.)
• Rhynchospora cyperoides var. longifructus (Kük.)
• Schoenus triceps (Vahl)
• Schoenus cyperinus (J.F.Gmel.)
• Rhynchospora cyperoides (Mart.)
• Rhynchospora urvillei (Steud.)
• Rhynchospora polycephala ((Nees) Wydler ex Kunth)
• Rhynchospora ostenii (Kük.)
• Rhynchospora dolichostyla (K.Schum.)
• Schoenus holoschoenoides (Rich.)
• Scirpus muricatus (Poir.)
• Rhynchospora arechavaletae (Boeckeler)
• Rhynchospora cyperoides var. triquetrifolia (Kük.)
• Schoenus globulifer ((Link) Willd. ex Kunth)
• Rhynchospora riedeliana (Gand.)
• Cephaloschoenus tenuirostris (Nees)
• Schoenus sparganioides (Lindl. ex Kunth)

Distribution

• Angola (native)
• Argentina Northeast (native)
• Bahamas (native)
• Belize (native)
• Benin (native)
• Bolivia (native)
• Botswana (native)
• Brazil North (native)
• Brazil Northeast (native)
• Brazil South (native)
• Brazil Southeast (native)
• Brazil West-Central (native)
• Cape Provinces (native)
• Colombia (native)
• Congo (native)
• Costa Rica (native)
• Cuba (native)
• Dominican Republic (native)
• El Salvador (native)
• Equatorial Guinea (native)
• French Guiana (native)
• Gabon (native)
• Ghana (native)
• Guatemala (native)
• Guinea (native)
• Guinea-Bissau (native)
• Guyana (native)
• Honduras (native)
• Ivory Coast (native)
• Jamaica (native)
• KwaZulu-Natal (native)
• Leeward Is. (native)
• Liberia (native)
• Madagascar (native)
• Mauritius (native)
• Mexico Gulf (native)
• Mexico Southeast (native)
• Mexico Southwest (native)
• Mozambique (native)
• Namibia (native)
• Nicaragua (native)
• Niger (native)
• Panamá (native)
• Paraguay (native)
• Puerto Rico (native)
• Senegal (native)
• Sierra Leone (native)
• Suriname (native)
• Tanzania (native)
• Trinidad-Tobago (native)
• Uruguay (native)
• Venezuela (native)
• Windward Is. (native)
• Zambia (native)
• Zaïre (native)
• Zimbabwe (native)

Additional Images

Flower

Taken Jul 9, 2016 by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

Taken Jul 9, 2016 by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

Taken Jul 9, 2016 by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

Taken Jul 3, 2022 by Trap Hers (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 4, 2022 by Trap Hers (cc-by-sa)

Habit

Taken Jul 7, 2016 by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

Taken Jul 7, 2016 by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

Taken Jul 7, 2016 by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

Taken Jun 19, 2013 by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

Taken Jul 3, 2022 by Trap Hers (cc-by-sa)

Bark

Taken Jul 9, 2016 by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

Taken Jul 7, 2016 by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

Leaf

Taken Jul 9, 2016 by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

Taken Jul 9, 2016 by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

Taken Jul 7, 2016 by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

Taken Jul 7, 2016 by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

Taken Jul 7, 2016 by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

Other

Taken Jul 9, 2016 by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

Taken Jul 7, 2016 by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Sources

• WFO (No URL)
• IPNI (No URL)
• GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/2720706)
• POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:220425-2)
• PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Rhynchospora holoschoenoides (Rich.) Herter)

Specifications

Growth habit>: Graminoid

Growth