Restio

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Restio (family Restionaceae) A genus of rush-like, monocotyledonous (see MONOCOTYLEDON), perennial herbs in which the stems of the plants undertake assimilation. The leaves are reduced to sheaths on the stem. The flowers are small, regular, and dioecious, arranged in spikelets, often in a nodding inflorescence. If the perianth is developed it is composed of 2 series of dry, often hyaline, segments, and has 3 stamens. The male flowers often have a rudimentary ovary, and in the female flowers several staminodes may be present. The superior ovary is made up of 1–3 carpels with a similar number of locules and styles. The fruit is dry and nut-like, or a 3-sided capsule with many endospermic seeds. Restio species are present as components of grass and sedge communities which often experience seasonal waterlogging. There are 88 species, found in Australia and S. Africa, but with little overlap in the distribution of species between these 2 regions.