Elegia cuspidata

Elegia cuspidata

A large reed-like plant native to South Africa. Long dark green stems produce male and female flowers appear on separate plants during summer. Flowers are not your typical flower and are dark brown and can sometimes appear almost black. Individual flowers are almost microscopic and can number anywhere from 50 to over 500 flowers per inflorescence.
Each flower sits within a bract which has a long-pointed tip. These bracts give the inflorescence its distinctive brush-like appearance. The easiest way to tell male from female is at flowering time during the summer months. The male plant produces pollen and the female plant has white fluffy styles that receive the pollen and form the seed.
They eventually form a large clump of sturdy upright green foliage and dense bronze flower heads surrounded by papery brown bracts.

Prefers full sun, good air circulation and some exposure to wind. If these requirements are not met, plants may become spindly and turn yellow. This restio naturally occurs in seasonally-flooded marshes in acidic soils, where it experiences hot windy summers and cold rainy winters.

Price is for 5 seeds