Taxon Report

Rhynchospora alba (L.) Vahl

white beaked-rush

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Rhynchospora alba, commonly known as white beaked-rush, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Cyperaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Bogs and fens, Marshes and swamps (freshwater), and Meadows and seeps, growing at elevations from 60 to 2040 meters. Rhynchospora alba is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Rhynchospora alba (L.) Vahl
Common Name:	white beaked-rush
Family:	Cyperaceae
Element Code:	PMCYP0N010
USDA Plants Symbol:	RHAL3
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: Jun-Aug	Jun-Aug
Elevation:	60-2040 (195-6695)
General Habitats:	Bogs and fens, Marshes and swamps, Meadows and seeps
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	G5
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	IUCN_LC
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	17
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	5
Good (B)	3
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	9

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Del Norte (DNT), Mariposa (MPA)?, Mendocino (MEN), Nevada (NEV)?, Plumas (PLU), Sonoma (SON), Tehama (TEH), Trinity (TRI), Tuolumne (TUO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Childs Meadows (4012134), Cisco Grove (3912035), Covington Mill (4012287), Crescent Mills (4012018), El Capitan (3711966), Fort Bragg (3912347), Gasquet (4112378), Graniteville (3912046), Half Dome (3711965), Inglenook (3912357), Mathison Peak (3912336), Mt. Harkness (4012143), Pinecrest (3811928), Reading Peak (4012144), Sebastopol (3812247), Smoky Creek (4012332), Tamarack Flat (3711976), Yosemite Falls (3711975)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	8
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	6	35 %
Foot traffic/trampling	2	11%
Altered flood/tidal/hydrologic regime	2	11%
Biocides	1	5%
Grazing	1	5%
Non-native plant impacts	1	5%
ORV activity	1	5%
Other	1	5%
Vandalism/dumping/litter	1	5%

Notes



Does plant occur in DNT, INY, or MPA counties? Threatened by grazing, trampling, and hydrological alterations. Endangered in ID, and on review list in OR.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

USFS Potential Species of Conservation Concern Profile

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 30 January 2025].