Elegia mucronata or rocket restio inflorescence

Male flowers of Elegia mucronata grow in large, brush-like heads interspersed with large, pale brown spathes, from 5 cm to 10 cm long and later dropping off. The inflorescence comprises hundreds of spikelets clustered at nodes of small branches.

Several spikelets are clustered at each node of the many-flowered female inflorescence, initially hidden by large spathes.  The individual female flower within its spathe has bony tepals and three styles, followed by a three-chambered fruit.

Flowering happens in the later part of spring.

The rocket restio common name of this plant refers to the explosive way in which the heads respond in fire. The species reseeds after fire (Dorrat-Haaksma and Linder, 2012; Manning, 2007; Bean and Johns, 2005; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984).