Macrostigma Kunth.

Herbs perennial, rhizomatous, monopodial. Rhizome usually ascending, rarely creeping, thick, stout, sometimes slightly woody. Stem very short. Leaves basal, alternate fasciculate or distichous equitant, distinctly petiolate or not; leaf blade narrowly lanceolate to ovate. Scape axillary. Inflorescence a terminal spike, 2- to many flowered, without sterile bracts apically; bracts deltoid to ovate, usually shorter than flowers. Perianth segments 6 or 8, connate for 1/2--2/3 their length into a tube, fleshy; lobes spreading. Stamens 6 or 8; filaments nearly wholly adnate to perianth tube; anthers positioned lower than stigma, dorsifixed. Ovary 3- or 4-loculed; ovules 2 per locule. Style 1, cylindric, 4--12 mm; stigma peltate to mushroom-shaped, 2--7 mm in diam., fleshy. Fruit a berry, 1-seeded.

The syntype specimens of Tupistra cavaleriei H. Léveillé can be identified as Amischotolype hispida (A. Richard) D. Y. Hong (Commelinaceae). Tupistra esquirolii H. Léveillé & Vaniot is referable to Curculigo capitulata (Loureiro) Kuntze (Amaryllidaceae). The identity of Tupistra bambusifolia H. Léveillé & Vaniot and T. bambusifolia var. rubromaculosa H. Léveillé & Vaniot (in H. Léveillé, Mem. Pontif. Accad. Romana Nuovi Lincei 24: 349. 1906) remains uncertain. The types, from Guizhou, have not been seen by the present authors but were said by McKean (Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 44: 176. 1986) to resemble Zingiber pleiostachyum K. Schumann (Zingiberaceae), which is endemic to Taiwan.

Fourteen species: Bhutan, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim, Thailand, Vietnam; four species (three endemic) in China.

(Authors: Liang Songyun (梁松筠 Liang Song-jun); Minoru N. Tamura)