Diplochilus Lindley; Paragnathis Sprengel.

Herbs, terrestrial. Tubers subglobose, fleshy, unlobed, neck with several slender roots. Stem short, with 1 or 2 leaves. Leaves basal, ensiform to oblong, pubescent or glabrous. Inflorescence suberect, terminal, 1- or 2-flowered; floral bracts lanceolate, green. Flowers resupinate, large; ovary twisted, cylindric-fusiform. Sepals spreading, free, lanceolate, nearly equal in size. Petals longer and wider than sepals; lip flabellate, large, unlobed, glabrous, sessile or shortly clawed at base, spurred; spur decurved, elongate, cylindric, slender. Column very short, with 2 lateral appendages; anther with 2 slightly divergent locules; pollinia 2, clavate, granular-farinaceous, sectile, each attached by a long, slender caudicle to a viscidium; viscidia oblate, small, naked; rostellum erect, large, membranous, protruding between locules of anther; stigma lobes 2, elongate, oblong, convex, basally connate, diverging. Capsule ellipsoid.

Four species: Bhutan, Cambodia, China, NE India, Laos, N Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam; two species in China.

(Authors: Chen Xinqi (陈心启 Chen Sing-chi); Stephan W. Gale, Phillip J. Cribb)