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Rhynchospora colorata
Starrush Whitetop
Synonym(s): Dichroma leucocephala
Florida native
A common sedge of moist flatwoods, prairies, bogs and ditches throughout most of Florida. The range includes the southeastern coastal states from Virginia to Texas plus Arkansas.
Growing to 70cm (27-1/2 in.) tall, the showy parts of this plant are the three to six (sometimes seven) bracts that spread out from the terminal inflorescence of small white spikelets. In Rhynchospora colorata the white portion at the base of the bracts is up to 2.5cm (1 in.) long, with the remainder of the bract green to the tapered tip.
This is one of three beaksedges in Florida having showy bracts with white bases and green tips. R. latifolia, giant whitetop, is found in much of Florida, although absent from the Big Bend area. Florida whitetop, R. floridensis only occurs in Highlands, Collier and Miami-Dade Counties, plus the Florida keys.
Rhynchospora colorata is a member of the Cyperaceae - Sedge family.
Other species of the Rhynchospora genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
Rhynchospora ciliaris - FRINGED BEAKSEDGE
Rhynchospora latifolia - GIANT WHITETOP
Rhynchospora megalocarpa - SANDYFIELD BEAKSEDGE
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Aug 07, 2016
