Diplolophium zambesianum Hiern

Perennial herb 0.6–2.2 m. tall, usually in stands of single stems.. Stems simple or with a few branches near the top, rigid, 3.5–6 mm. wide, sometimes purplish below, glabrous, terete, finely striate, solid.. Leaves broadly deltoid in oudine, ± 5–22 cm. long at the central region of the stem but diminishing below and rapidly reducing above, bi-or usually tripinnate into setaceous, 2–22(–30) × ± 1 mm., ± rigid segments, segments with thickened and ± recurved margins and tipped with a firm mucro, lamina sessile on the sheaths; sheaths long, (1.5–)2.5–7 cm., narrowly oblong, glabrous, with deep rounded auricles on each side of the basal pinnae.. Umbels solitary to rather few, peduncles 3.5–12(–l 8) cm., glabrous, terete; rays (6–)8–18, glabrous, 2–10 cm. long; involucre conspicuous, of ± 5–8 narrowly oblong bracts ± 1.5–4 × 0.4–0.6 cm., nervose and often purplish centrally, pale-margined, gradually tapering and frequently subaristate at the apex; flowers ± 13–30 in each partial umbel, on glabrous, very angular and grooved pedicels 4–10 mm. long; involucel of ± 7–9 bracteoles similar to bracts, ± 7–14 mm. long; rays and pedicels not thickened or drawing together in fruit.. Calyx-teeth minute or obsolete.. Petals white to creamy-white, ± 1 mm., long-pilose along the central dorsal surface.. Fruit oblong-elliptic, ± 4–7 × 2.5–3.5 mm., densely furnished with rather long yellowish or whitish hairs, cylindrical until maturity and then somewhat dorsally compressed; stylopodia ± equalling the ± 1 mm., finally deflexed, glabrous styles.. Fig. 28.