Last February, I spent some time in Florida photographing wildflowers. In several places I photographed what looked like a blade of grass that split at the top into a white flower. With a little research, I discovered that what I was photographing was Starrush Whitetop (Rhynchospora colorata), a member of the sedge family.

Starrush Whitetop is a perennial that blooms year round in Florida. It has between three and seven white bracts which are tipped with green. There are small white flowers in the center of the bracts.

I first photographed the Starrush Whitetop at the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

I next photographed it at Big Cypress National Preserve.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

And finally some dried out starrush whitetop at Everglades National Park.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins