Restionaceae

Family: Restionaceae

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Monocotyledons > Order: Poales

There are 38 genera and about 520 species (Africa, Madagascar, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Chile in South America), with 18 genera and 342 species native to southern Africa, occurring mainly in the fynbos.

Genera native to southern Africa

List from Archer (2000).

Anthochortus Seven species, endemic to the Western Cape.
Askidiosperma Twelve species, endemic to the Western Cape.
Calopsis Five species, endemic to southern Africa.
Cannomois Twelve species, endemic to the Western Cape and Eastern Cape.
Ceratocaryum Eight species, endemic to the Western Cape.
Elegia Fifty species, endemic to southern Africa (Northern Cape, Western Cape and Eastern Cape).
Hydrophilus One species, Hydrophilus rattrayi, endemic to Western Cape and Eastern Cape.
Hypodiscus Fifteen species, endemic to southern Africa (Northern Cape, Western Cape and Eastern Cape).
Ischyrolepis Two species, endemic to southern Africa.
Mastersiella Three species, endemic to the Western Cape.
Nevillea Two species, endemic to the Western Cape.
Platycaulos Ten species, endemic to Western Cape and Eastern Cape.
Restio 154 species native to southern Africa.
Rhodocoma Eight species, endemic to southern Africa (Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal).
Soroveta One species - Soroveta ambigua [= Restio ambiguus].
Staberoha Nine species, endemic to the Western Cape.
Thamnochortus Thirty-two species, endemic to southern Africa (Western Cape and Eastern Cape). Plants of the species Thamnochortus insignis are a major source of material for thatching of roofs, and are harvested mainly in the Albertinia region of the Western Cape.
Willdenowia Eleven species, endemic to Western Cape and Northern Cape.

Publications

Archer, C. 2000. Restionaceae. In: Seed Plants of Southern Africa (ed. O.A. Leistner). Strelitzia 10: 729-733. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.