Rhynchospora fernaldii

Rhynchospora fernaldii Gale
Fernald's Beakrush

Federal Protection: No US federal protection

State Protection: No Georgia state protection

Global Rank: G3G4

State Rank: S2?

Element Locations Tracked in Biotics: Yes

SWAP 2015 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): Yes

SWAP 2025 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): Yes

2025 SGCN Priority Tier: High Conservation Concern

Element Occurrences (EOs) in Georgia: 9

Habitat Summary for element in Georgia: Sandy, peaty pond margins and depressions

Description

Perennial, clump-forming sedge, lacking rhizomes. Stems 6 - 20 inches (15 - 50 cm) tall, narrow, erect, leafy on the lower half. Leaves are shorter than the stem, less than 1 mm wide, thread-like, usually less than half the height of the flowering stems. One or two, round-topped, dark brown flower clusters are held at the top of the stem. A leaf-like bract extends from the base of each cluster to well beyond the cluster. Spikelets are about 0.1 inch (2 - 4 mm) long, reddish-brown, and oval with pointed tips and 2 or 3 fruits hidden beneath broadly oval, brown scales. Fruits are tiny (0.8 mm wide, 0.9 - 1.0 mm long), seed-like, two-sided achenes, elliptic to oval in outline, smooth, dark brown to blackish with a paler center, with a triangle-shaped tubercle (cap) on top. There are no horizontal lines or wrinkles on the achene surface. A narrow margin flows from the base of the tubercle to the base of the fruit body. Six bristles arise from the base of the achene, more or less the same length as the body of the achene, but often of unequal lengths. (10 - 20x magnification is required to see details of the achene.)

Similar Species

The thread-like leaves and stems and the small flower clusters of Fernald’s Beaksedge resemble those of a number of other Coastal Plain Rhynchospora species that have smooth achenes, such as R. gracilenta, R. filifolia, and R. wrightiana. Fernald’s Beaksedge is distinguished from these and several other species by three achene characters: small size (0.8 mm wide, 0.9-1.0 mm long), blackish-brown color, and low, triangular, not elongated tubercle.

Related Rare Species

Fifteen species of beaksedge are rare in Georgia. For more information, see:

Northern White Beaksedge (Rhynchospora alba) http://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Rhynchospora_alba

Bearded Beaksedge (Rhynchospora crinipes) https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=20946

Georgia Beaksedge (Rhynchospora culixa) https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=17285

Decurrent Beaksedge (Rhynchospora decurrens) https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=21032

Fernald's Beakrush (Rhynchospora fernaldii) https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=20462

Harper's Beaksedge (Rhynchospora harperi) https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=17092

Many-bristled Beaksedge (Rhynchospora macra) https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=19539

Feather-bristle Beaksedge (Rhynchospora oligantha) http://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Rhynchospora_oligantha

Clonal Thread-leaved Beak (Rhynchospora pleiantha) https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=19634

Spotted Beaksedge (Rhynchospora punctata) https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=20475

Long-beak Beaksedge (Rhynchospora scirpoides)

Solitary Beaksedge (Rhynchospora solitaria) https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=21235

Chapman's Beakrush (Rhynchospora stenophylla) http://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Rhynchospora_stenophylla

Thorne’s Beaksedge (Rhynchospora thornei) https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=22487

Torrey's Beaksedge (Rhynchospora torreyana) http://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Rhynchospora_torreyana

Habitat

Dry to moist pine flatwoods, flatwoods depression ponds, savannas, bog edges, and roadsides through these habitats.

Life History

Rhynchospora fernaldii is a perennial herb that reproduces sexually; lacking rhizomes, it does not spread vegetatively. All beaksedge flowers are wind-pollinated; their fruits are dispersed by water and gravity, and also by animals, assisted by the tiny, barbed bristles at the base of the fruit which attach to fur and feathers.

Survey Recommendations

Mature fruits are essential for identification of this species, and surveys should be conducted during the late summer and early fall when they are present. A 10 - 20x hand lens is required to see details of the achene.

Range

Georgia, west to Mississippi and south to Florida. It is rare in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.

Threats

Pine flatwoods have been widely converted in Georgia to pine plantations and agriculture, and the wetlands contained within them ditched, drained, and/or filled. Fire suppression has allowed the herb layer in these communities to be outcompeted by woody species.

SWAP 2025 Threat Matrix

Threat 1 Threat 2 Threat 3

General Threat Human intrusions & disturbance Natural system modifications Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases

Specific Threat None None None

	Threat 1	Threat 2	Threat 3
General Threat	Human intrusions & disturbance	Natural system modifications	Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases
Specific Threat	None	None	None

Georgia Conservation Status

Rhynchospora fernaldii is ranked S2? by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, indicating that it is likely imperiled in the state but that there is not enough information to make a definitive ranking. Rhynchospora fernaldii has been documented in Georgia 9 times in 4 Coastal Plain counties since 1902; only two of these populations, last seen in 1912 and 1938, occurred on conservation land. Only two populations have been seen since 2000; both are on private land.

Conservation Management Recommendations

Restore pine flatwoods and flatwoods pines using prescribed fire and hydrological restoration methods. Apply prescribed fire on a 2-3 year return interval. Conduct field surveys to determine the current status of historical populations.

SWAP 2025 Conservation Actions:

Action 1: Research reproductive biology
Action 2: Complete a distributional survey to assess current range, conservation status or to identify best populations
Action 3: Protect key populations using land acquisition or easements
Action 4: Reassess the conservation status of SGCN before the next revision of Georgia's State Wildlife Action Plan

References

GADNR. 2019. Element occurrence records for Rhynchospora fernaldii. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division. Social Circle, Georgia.

Kral, R. 2003. Species account for Rhynchospora fernaldii. Flora of North America North of Mexico, vol. 23. http://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Rhynchospora_fernaldii

NatureServe. 2019. Species account for Rhynchospora fernaldii. NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Rhynchospora%20fernaldii

Weakley, A.S. 2015. Flora of the southern and mid-Atlantic States. University of North Carolina Herbarium, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/flora.htm

Authors of Account

Linda G. Chafin

Date Compiled or Updated

Linda G. Chafin, 25 November 2019: original account

Fernald's Beak-sedge, Rhynchospora fernaldii, by John Gwaltney, Southeasternflora.com. Image may be subject to copyright.

Fernald's Beak-sedge, Rhynchospora fernaldii, drawing of achene courtesy of the Flora of North America, http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242357880. Image subject to copyright.

Fernald's Beak-sedge, Rhynchospora fernaldii, photo by Joshua Campbell, courtesy of the Atlas of Florida Plants (http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu). Image may be subject to copyright.