DIFFUSA   Rose, 1911

Synonym : Altamiranoa diffusa  (Rose) Walther (1936)

Distribution: Mexico (Chiapas); mountain regions, 1800 – 2000 m.

Description (according to J. Thiede in IHSP, 2003) :

Herbs; stems richly branched, erect to decumbent, basally somewhat woody, to 40 cm, purplish.

Leaves triangular-ovate to oblong, mostly broadest near the base, obtuse, 5 – 12 x 2 – 2,5 mm, forming small rosettes on young branches or densely imbricate and covering the stems.

Inflorescences spikes, 2 – 12 cm, with 5 – 20 flowers.

Flowers : Sepals ovate, obtuse, 2,5 – 4 x 1,5 – 2,5 mm, petals triangular-ovate, 4 – 5 x 2 – 2,5 mm, rose-colored, tubes 2 – 2,5 mm, lobes acute, recurved, 4 – 5 x 2 – 2,5 mm.

A more accurate description by Ray Stephenson of a plant collected by M. Kimnach et al. 3276, Jan. 25^th 1992, Chiapas, Mexico :

Stems to 4 mm thick, elongating to 30 cm to form the flower spike. Shiny green becoming bronze-red.

Leaves alternate, at first triangular in section to 14 x 3 x 2.5 mm, both keel and leaf margins rough or rugose especially on young leaves, arranged in elongated rosettes, imbricate, upturned, lanceolate, papillose at tip. Keels not so obvious on some older leaves. Green turning bronzy red at tips and margins.

Bracts leaf-like but larger and extremely succulent, terete and widest at the base, upturned, same colour as the leaves.

Inflorescence 8 – 10 cm long with perhaps 50 spirally arranged sessile flowers.

Flowers 5-partite, each with a bract below, sepals free, oblanceolate, 3 x 1.5mm, fairly upright, petals upright in the lower half, triangular, hooded, 4 x 2 mm, greeny yellow suffused with rose-purple with a light margin.

Villadia diffusa   Microhonda from Motozintla to El Porvenir :