Restio

Restio
Restio quadratus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Restionaceae
Genus:	Restio Rottb. 1772 conserved name, not L. 1767 [1]
Type species
Restio dichotomus Rottb. [2] [3]
Synonyms [1] [4]
CalopsisP.Beauv. ex Desv. CraspedolepisSteud. IschyrolepisSteud. LeienaRaf. RestioL., rejected name

Restio is a genus of flowering plants within the family Restionaceae, described in 1772. ^{[5] [3]} The entire genus is endemic to the Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. ^[4]

In common with a number of other genera in the Restionaceae, restios are widely cultivated for use as garden ornamentals for their attractive nodular foliage. They are mildly frost hardy.

Species

168 species are accepted. ^{[6] [4]}

• Restio acockii Pillans
• Restio adpressus (Esterh.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio affinis (Esterh.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio albotuberculatus H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio alticola Pillans
• Restio andreaeanus (Pillans) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio anomalus H.P.Linder
• Restio arcuatus Mast.
• Restio aridus Pillans
• Restio asperus (Mast.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio aureolus Pillans
• Restio bifarius Mast.
• Restio bifidus Thunb.
• Restio bifurcus Nees ex Mast.
• Restio bolusii Pillans
• Restio brachiatus (Mast.) Pillans
• Restio brunneus Pillans
• Restio burchellii Pillans
• Restio caespitosus (Esterh.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio calcicola H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio capensis (L.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio capillaris Kunth
• Restio cedarbergensis H.P.Linder
• Restio cincinnatus Mast.
• Restio clandestinus (Esterh.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio coactilis Mast.
• Restio colliculospermus H.P.Linder
• Restio communis Pillans
• Restio confusus Pillans
• Restio constipatus H.P.Linder
• Restio corneolus Esterh.
• Restio curvibracteatus (Esterh.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio curviramis Kunth
• Restio cymosus (Mast.) Pillans
• Restio debilis Nees
• Restio decipiens (N.E.Br.) H.P.Linder
• Restio degenerans Pillans
• Restio dispar Mast.
• Restio distans Pillans
• Restio distichus Rottb.
• Restio distractus Mast.
• Restio distylis H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio dodii Pillans
• Restio durus (Esterh.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio duthieae Pillans
• Restio echinatus Kunth
• Restio egregius Hochst.
• Restio ejuncidus Mast.
• Restio eleocharis Nees ex Mast.
• Restio elsieae H.P.Linder
• Restio esterhuyseniae Pillans
• Restio exilis Mast.
• Restio femineus (Esterh.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio festuciformis Nees ex Mast.
• Restio filicaulis Pillans
• Restio filiformis Poir.
• Restio fourcadei Pillans
• Restio fragilis Esterh.
• Restio fraternus Kunth
• Restio fuscidulus Pillans
• Restio fusiformis Pillans
• Restio gaudichaudianus Kunth
• Restio gossypinus Mast.
• Restio harveyi Mast.
• Restio helenae Mast.
• Restio hyalinus (Mast.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio hystrix Mast.
• Restio implicatus Esterh.
• Restio impolitus Kunth
• Restio inconspicuus Esterh.
• Restio ingens Esterh.
• Restio insignis Pillans
• Restio inveteratus Esterh.
• Restio involutus Pillans
• Restio karooicus (Esterh.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio laniger Kunth
• Restio leptoclados Mast.
• Restio leptostachyus Kunth
• Restio levynsiae (Pillans) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio longiaristatus (Pillans ex H.P.Linder) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio luxurians (Pillans) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio macer Kunth
• Restio marlothii Pillans
• Restio micans Nees
• Restio miser Kunth
• Restio mkambatiae H.P.Linder
• Restio monanthos Mast.
• Restio monostylis (Pillans) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio montanus Esterh.
• Restio muirii (Pillans) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio multiflorus Spreng.
• Restio nanus (Esterh.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio nodosus Pillans
• Restio nubigenus (Esterh.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio nudiflorus (Pillans) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio nuwebergensis Esterh.
• Restio obscurus Pillans
• Restio occultus (Mast.) Pillans
• Restio ocreatus Kunth
• Restio pachystachyus Kunth
• Restio paludicola H.P.Linder
• Restio paludosus Pillans
• Restio paniculatus Rottb.
• Restio papillosus (Esterh.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio papyraceus Pillans
• Restio parthenocarpos H.P.Linder
• Restio parvispiculus H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio patens Mast.
• Restio peculiaris Esterh.
• Restio pedicellatus Mast.
• Restio perplexus Kunth
• Restio perseverans Esterh.
• Restio pillansii H.P.Linder
• Restio praeacutus Mast.
• Restio pratensis (Esterh.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio pulcher (Esterh.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio pulvinatus Esterh.
• Restio pumilus Esterh.
• Restio purpurascens Nees ex Mast.
• Restio pygmaeus Pillans
• Restio quadratus Mast.
• Restio quinquefarius Nees
• Restio ramosissimus H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio rarus Esterh.
• Restio rigidus (Mast.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio rigoratus (Mast.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio rivulus (Esterh.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio rottboellioides Kunth
• Restio rudolfii H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio rupicola Esterh.
• Restio sabulosus Pillans
• Restio saroclados Mast.
• Restio saxatilis (Esterh.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio scaber Mast.
• Restio scaberulus N.E.Br.
• Restio schoenoides Kunth
• Restio secundus (Pillans) H.P.Linder
• Restio sejunctus Mast.
• Restio setiger Kunth
• Restio sieberi Kunth
• Restio similis Pillans
• Restio singularis Esterh.
• Restio sporadicus (Esterh.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio stereocaulis Mast.
• Restio stokoei Pillans
• Restio strictus N.E.Br.
• Restio strobilifer Kunth
• Restio subtilis Nees ex Mast.
• Restio subverticillatus (Steud.) Mast.
• Restio tenuispicatus H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio tenuissimus Kunt
• Restio tetragonus Thunb.
• Restio triflorus Rottb.
• Restio triticeus Rottb.
• Restio tuberculatus Pillans
• Restio uniflorus H.P.Linder
• Restio unispicatus (H.P.Linder) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio vallis-simius H.P.Linder
• Restio verrucosus Esterh.
• Restio versatilis H.P.Linder
• Restio vilis Kunth
• Restio villosus H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio vimineus Rottb.
• Restio virgeus Mast.
• Restio wallichii Mast.
• Restio wittebergensis (Esterh.) H.P.Linder & C.R.Hardy
• Restio zuluensis H.P.Linder
• Restio zwartbergensis Pillans

Many species formerly included within the genus Restio are now classified into a number of other genera including Acion , Baloskion , and Eurychorda .

References

1. Tropicos, Restio L.
2. lectotype designated by Mc Vaugh, Taxon 17: 85-87 (19??)
3. Tropicos, Restio Rottb.
4. "World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew". wcsp.science.kew.org. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
5. Rottbøll, Christen Friis. 1772. Descriptiones Plantarum Rariorum 9
6. "Restio Rottb". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 15 October 2025.

Further reading

• Dorrat-Haaksma, Els; Linder, Hans Peter (2012). Restios of the Fynbos (2 ed.). Cape Town: Struik Nature.