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Rhynchospora fusca

(L.) Ait. f.

Brown Beakrush

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.150333
Element CodePMCYP0N0U0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderCyperales
FamilyCyperaceae
GenusRhynchospora
Other Common Names
Brown Beaksedge (EN) brown beaksedge (EN) Rhynchospore brun (FR)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-06-19
Change Date2024-06-19
Edition Date2024-06-19
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Rhynchospora fusca is a wide-ranging perennial graminoid in a variety of wetland types with a circumboreal distribution occurring in Europe and northern North America from Newfoundland west to Saskatchewan in Canada south to Maryland, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, and Minnesota in the United States. Threats include recreational activities, invasive species, alteration of hydrology, development, and likely other threats in some places. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Rhynchospora fusca is a circumboreal species occurring in Europe and northern North America from Newfoundland west to Saskatchewan in Canada south to Maryland, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, and Minnesota in the United States (FNA 2002, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024). Range extent was estimated to be over 20 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are thousands occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is threatened by recreational activities, invasive species, alteration of hydrology, development, and likely other threats in some places (NatureServe 2024). There is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand the scope and severity of threats for this taxon.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Rhynchospora fusca grows on sandy, peaty shores of ponds, bogs, fens, peatlands, and Atlantic white-cedar swamps (FNA 2002, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024).
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDBog/fen
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
New BrunswickS4Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS3Yes
QuebecS3Yes
SaskatchewanS1Yes
OntarioS4Yes
Nova ScotiaS4Yes
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
MaineSNRYes
WisconsinS2Yes
West VirginiaSHYes
MarylandSHYes
MinnesotaS3Yes
DelawareS2Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
PennsylvaniaSXYes
District of ColumbiaSHYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
New JerseyS4Yes
New YorkS4Yes
IndianaSXYes
VermontS3Yes
ConnecticutSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceUnknownUnknownUnknown
6.1 - Recreational activitiesUnknownUnknownUnknown
7 - Natural system modificationsUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.2 - Dams & water management/useUnknownUnknownUnknown
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1.1 - Unspecified speciesUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationANNUAL, PERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
Minnesota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Hegman LakesSuperior National Forest675
References (10)
  1. Coffin, B., and L. Pfannmuller, editors. 1988. Minnesota's endangered flora and fauna. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 473 pp.
  2. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 23. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Cyperaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 608 pp.
  3. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  4. Haines, A. 2011. Flora Novae Angliae: a manual for the identification of native and naturalized higher vascular plants of New England. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. 973 pp.
  5. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  6. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  7. Myhre, K. 2001. Comments by K. Myhre on rare species list for fisheries. Email memo. 23 May 2001. 2pp.
  8. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  9. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  10. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.