Elegia capensis

Elegia capensis
At Christchurch Botanic Gardens
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Restionaceae
Genus: Elegia
Species:
E. capensis
Binomial name
Elegia capensis
Synonyms
  • Elegia verticillaris (L.f.) Kunth
  • Restio verticillaris L.f.
  • Restio verticillatus Spreng.

Elegia capensis, called the horsetail restio, or bergbamboes is a species of grasslike flowering plant in the genus Elegia, native to the Fynbos region of the Cape Provinces of South Africa. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. This dicot plant bears a strong resemblance to a scouring rush or horsetail (Equisetum ) spp. with whorls of around 25 side shoots spaced 8–10 cm (3.1–3.9 in) apart. The plant is usually 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) high but can reach 3 m (9.8 ft) on occasion. The flowers are brown and inconspicuous.