Elegia tectorum (Elegia tectorum)
Description
Elegia tectorum, previously Chondropetalum tectorum or Restio tectorum, more commonly Cape thatching reed, or dakriet (in Afrikaans), is a member of the restio family, Restionaceae. It is a tufted perennial growing to between 1.5 and 2.25 m, with deciduous leaf sheaths. Flowers are less than 3 mm long. Petals are smooth or hairy in the upper half. E. tectorum is found in marshes and seeps on deep sand in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape of South Africa. The species was originally noted by Carl Linnaeus the Younger. In 1838, E. tectorum was noted by Irish botanist William Henry Harvey (as R. Tectorum) for its use as a thatching material, and in the making of brooms and baskets. Elegia tectorum was later called Chondropetalum tectorum, but cladistic analysis, conducted by Moline and Linder (2005) found that the genera of Chondropetalum and Dovea were imbedded in Elegia.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum:
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Class: Liliopsida
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Order: Poales
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Family: Restionaceae
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Genus: Elegia
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