Renealmia L.F.

Perennial herbs. Leafy stems in clumps from short rhizomes. Leaves distichous, with long sheathing bases forming a pseudostem, narrowly ovate to obovate, attenuate at the base into a pseudopetiole; ligule very short and stiff; sheaths sulcate, sometimes pitted or reticulate. Inflorescences paniculate, separate from the leafy shoots, or sometimes (not in East Africa) terminating them. Inflorescence-axis bearing oblong to ovate bracts, subtending small cincinni of 1-8 or more flowers, each subtended by a tubular bracteole. Calyx tubular, 3-fid at the apex, persistent in fruit. Corolla 3-lobed, adnate below to the androecial tube. Androecium composed of a 3-lobed labellum and a single fertile subsessile stamen. Ovary with 1-many seeds (9-many in East Africa); style filiform, with a bilobed stigma; stylodia (nectaries) forming a solid mass round the style-base. Fruit a fleshy capsule which may be tardily dehiscent. Seeds shiny, striate, angular, surrounded by a fimbriate aril.