Marantochloa leucantha (K.Schum.) Milne-redh.

Stems up to 4.0 m. high but often much less, branched.. Leaves homo-tropic; sheathing part of petiole up to 24 cm. long; terete part below the calloused part less than 1 cm. long; calloused part up to 2.0 cm. long; leaf-blade strongly asymmetric, the acumen normally being to the right of the midrib as seen from above, ± ovate, up to 25 x 14 cm., often much smaller, sometimes purplish below.. Inflorescence lax, up to 30 cm. long, branched; rhachis and bracts green; primary bract 2.5–3.5 cm. long, spreading with the pedunculate cymules in anthesis; flowers creamy or greenish-white, about 0.7 cm. long; ovary shortly pilose.. Capsule subglobose, about 9 mm. in diameter, glabrescent, glossy, bright red or creamy white, the withered perianth deciduous; seed as in Fig. 1/4A, p. 3, brownish or greyish with an aril.. Fig. 1/4 and 4A, p. 3.

It is a tropical plant. It grows as an under-shrub of the non-swampy forest in West Africa.