Plants creeping against trees or over boulders by mean of adhesive roots. Leaves distichous, petiolate, undivided, pinnately veined; distal nodes of stem with usually 2 normal leaves with distinct sheaths, and (mostly) several strongly to entirely reduced leaves with strongly developed sheaths; petioles of other leaves only at base moderately sheathing, pulvinus distinct; trichosclereids and laticiferous vessels absent. Inflorescences emerging from a rhipidium carried at shoot tips (or sometimes laterally displaced), with each inflorescence subtended by a reduced leaf comprised mainly of an expanded petiolar sheath. Spathe white or green, cymbiform, oblong-ovate, initially tubular-inrolled and beaked for ca. 1/4 spathe length, at last entirely spreading, often caducous. Spadix cylindric, with stipe well developed. Flowers many, bisexual; perigone a single cuplike structure, membranous, truncate. Stamens 4; filaments strap-shaped; anthers longitudinally dehiscent. Ovary 1-loculed, 1-ovuled; ovule central-basal; stigma sessile, transversely inserted. Berry subglobose, distinctly truncate apically. Seed large.
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