Herbs, epiphytic or lithophytic, monopodial. Stems rather long climbing, rooting from nodes, usually slightly compressed trigonous, many noded, rigid, enclosed in persistent leaf sheaths, sometimes branched. Leaves many, usually densely distichous, flat, rarely subcylindric, leathery or slightly fleshy, base sheathing, jointed, apex bilobulate, rarely obtuse. Inflorescence racemose, axillary, usually very short, few flowered. Flowers small or medium-sized, fleshy. Sepals free, similar. Petals smaller; lip spurred at base, 3-lobed; lateral lobes erect, small; mid-lobe large, adaxially thickened and cushionlike centrally; spur narrowly conic, with a longitudinal septum or ridge on inner surface, and with a tough appendage on back wall. Column stout, apex with 2 long and incurved stelidia; rostellum small, short; pollinia 4 in 2 pairs, waxy, subglobose; stipe irregular, much broader than long; viscidium ± crescent-shaped.

Reviewer L. Averyanov notes that Pelatantheria insectifera (H. G. Reichenbach) Ridley (J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 32: 373. 1896; Sarcanthus insectifer H. G. Reichenbach, Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 15: 159. 1857) should occur in S China. However, the present authors could not substantiate this assertion because they found no relevant specimens.

About five species: tropical Himalayas south to Sumatra, north to Korea and Japan; four species in China.

(Authors: Chen Xinqi (陈心启 Chen Sing-chi); Jeffrey J. Wood)