Valiha (plant)

Valiha is a bamboo genus in the tribe Bambuseae found in Madagascar. The genus is named after a musical instrument, the valiha, which was formerly constructed from the culms of this plant. It may have come from Proto-Austronesian *balija or *baliga referring to Dendrocalamus strictus used to make cutting blades and beaters due to its hard properties – the beater tool also called a belira or balila in many related Austronesian languages – later transferred to newly discovered Malagasy bamboos.