Elegia mucronata

Elegia mucronata, commonly known as the rocket restio, in Afrikaans as bergriet (mountain reed) and previously biologically as Chondropetalum mucronatum, is a robust restio. It grows an erect tussock from a big underground rhizome and reaches heights from 2 m to 2,5 m.

The cane-like culms of up to 1 cm in diameter are coarse and unbranched. The stem-clasping leaf sheaths end in acutely pointed tips. They drop off leaving conspicuous rings around the culms.

The species distribution is in the Western Cape from Clanwilliam to Knysna.

The habitat is marshes and mountain plateau seeps on sandstone where the plants may dominate by their large populations, often taller than surrounding vegetation. The plant is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Dorrat-Haaksma and Linder, 2012; Manning, 2007; Bean and Johns, 2005; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; http://redlist.sanbi.org).