FIELD ID CHARACTERISTICS:
When blooming, this sedge is easily recognizable by its bright white bracts extending from the inflorescence.
Synonym(s): Dichromena colorata, Rhynchospora drummondiana, Rhynchospora stellata, Schoenus coloratus
Description: A medium (to 45 cm) sedge readily identifiable when in flower, with its upright flowering stem holding bright white bracts.
Leaves: Linear, grass-like leaves (0.5 to 3 mm wide) in basal arrangement.
Flowers/Fruit: Inflorescence dominated by bright white bracts at the tip of an upright stem. Flowers and fruits May through September.
Habit and Range: In sunny moist wetlands such as wet grasslands, pine savannahs, dune swales, and flatwoods; moist roadsides; can tolerate some exposure to salt spray. Restricted to the outer Coastal Plain.
COMMON CONFUSIONS:
Rhynchospora colorata (starrush whitetop sedge) is similar to R. latifolia (giant whitetop sedge) which is a taller, uncommon outer Coastal Plain species with many more (and longer) white bracts (6 to 10) versus the 3 to 6 bracts of R. colorata.
Link to side-by-side comparisons page
