Cannomois virgata

This restio was photographed on the Gifberg in October. It is thought to be Cannomois virgata, a mat- or clump-forming plant reaching 1,5 m in height, grown from a vigorously spreading rhizome.

The original C. virgata has been separated into three species: C. grandis growing from Tulbagh and Caledon to the Langeberg and Swartberge, a tall plant up to 5 m in a tufted growth habit; C. robusta found from the Cederberg to the Eastern Cape grows to 2 m; and C. virgata. Both C. grandis and C. robusta are reseeders, while C. virgata is a resprouter.

The generic name, Cannomois, is derived from the Greek words canna meaning cane and omoios meaning similar to or resembling. The specific epithet, virgata, means twiggy or branching, referring to the plant’s branching habit.

C. virgata has persistent brown sheaths wrapped closely around the stout culms.

The species is found widespread from the Cape Peninsula to the Eastern Cape. The plants occur both coastally and inland, on flats and slopes in sandstone derived soils among fynbos. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century.

The plant has for long been used to make brooms and is sometimes called besemriet (broom reed) in Afrikaans (Dorrat-Haaksma and Linder, 2000; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://pza.sanbi.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).