Herbs perennial, climbing or suberect. Rhizomes absent. Lateral branches penetrating leaf sheaths. Leaves alternate. Inflorescence borne opposite leaf and exserted from mouth of leaf sheath, but not penetrating sheath, a long pedunculate panicle of numerous cincinni; basal cincinnus with a leaflike involucral bract at base, with bisexual flowers, others without involucral bracts, with only male flowers. Flowers actinomorphic. Sepals free, boat-shaped, herbaceous, galeate at apex. Petals free, purple or white, broadly linear or oblanceolate. Stamens 6, all fertile, equal; filaments lanate; anther locules parallel, ellipsoid, longitudinally dehiscent. Ovary 3-loculed; ovules 8 per locule. Capsule 3-valved, ovoid, trigonous; seeds 4--8 per valve, polygonal, reticulate; hilum linear.

Spatholirion differs from Streptolirion mainly in having involucral bracts on only the basal cincinnus of the panicles, not all nodes of the lateral branches bearing an inflorescence, and an ovary containing 4--8 ovules per locule.

Three species: China, Thailand, Vietnam; two species in China.