Herbs, terrestrial, slender or robust. Tubers solitary or paired, ellipsoid, fleshy; roots few, fasciculate, filiform. Stem erect, with a few sheaths at base and 1 to few leaves above, glabrous. Leaves basal or cauline, ovate to lanceolate, membranous to slightly fleshy, amplexicaul at base. Inflorescence terminal, with several scattered, sheathing foliaceous or reduced sterile bracts along peduncle, laxly to densely few to many flowered above; floral bracts reflexed, usually foliaceous, ovate to lanceolate, often longer than ovary. Flowers not resupinate, bisexual or unisexual; ovary fusiform, shortly pedicellate, usually glabrous. Sepals and petals free, spreading, subequal. Petals often slightly smaller than sepals; lip superior, deeply hooded, adnate to column at base, with 2 elongate or saccate spurs at base, or rarely spurless. Column short to elongate, usually incurved, with 2 prominent auricles near anther base; anther on ventral surface of column, with 2 parallel locules, base entirely connate with column, usually with well-developed connective; pollinia 2, granular-farinaceous, sectile, each attached to a viscidium by a short, slender caudicle; rostellum spreading, rather large, 3-lobed; stigma lobes confluent, large, flat or concave.

About 90 species: mainly in Africa (especially S Africa), with a few species also found in S Asia; two species (one endemic) in China.

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