A dioecious perennial. The plants are small and clustered on a long rhizome.

Culm: Simple (unbranched) to 70cm. Sheaths are absent or one per culm and persistent, hence there are no abscission lines.

Flowerhead: The male inflorescence has 10-50 spikelets; each spikelet has 4-6 flowers. The spathes are cartilaginous, longer than the spikelets, but drop off.

Female inflorescence has 6-10 spikelets; each spikelet has 3-4 flowers. The spathes are cartilaginous, longer than the spikelets, but do not obscure the spikelets.

Distribution: On the Cape Peninsula and along the mountains between Jonkershoek and Betty's Bay, as far east as Bredasdorp.

Note: de (Latin) = down (downwards, outwards, from), ustus, urere = to burn down or up (burned, scorched).

de (Latin) can reverse the action of the verb, thus deustum indicates "fire-resistant".

This Restio is among the first to resprout after fire.