Herbs, terrestrial or rarely epiphytic. Rhizome elongate or short, ascending, cylindric, fleshy, with nodes bearing several slender roots. Stem erect or ascending, leafy. Leaves ovate, slightly fleshy, with a short petiole-like base sheathing stem. Inflorescence erect, terminal, racemose, densely several to many flowered. Flowers resupinate, not fully opening, medium-sized or small; ovary twisted, cylindric-fusiform, pubescent. Sepals subequal; dorsal sepal and petals forming a hood; lateral sepals free, spreading. Lip short, triangular-ovate, obscurely 3-lobed, spurred at base; spur conic to fusiform, large, projecting between base of lateral sepals, containing 2 stalked glands near base. Column very short, stout; anther erect, on dorsal side of column, 2-locular; pollinia 2, granular-farinaceous, narrowly obovoid, attenuate at base, attached to a large ovate-oblong viscidium; rostellum short, erect, remnant shortly bifid; stigma 2-lobed; lobes separate, raised, protruding beyond sides of rostellum.

About 35 species: India to the Pacific islands; one species in China.

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