Bonatea Willd.

Terrestrial herbs with elongated fleshy and tuberous roots. Stems unbranched, usually very leafy. Leaves arranged all along the stem, but sometimes withered by the time the flowers are open. Inflorescence terminal, 1-many-flowered. Flowers resupinate, green or yellow and white. Dorsal sepal free, but usually forming a helm with the upper petal-lobes, the laterals united for some distance to the base of the lip, the anterior petal-lobes and the stigmatic arms. Petals 2-lobed, the upper lobe usually adherent to the dorsal sepal, the lower (anterior) adnate at the base to the stigmatic arm and the lip. Lip adnate in the basal part to the stigmatic arms and lateral sepals, the free part 3-lobed, spurred at the base; disk usually with a distinct tooth in front of the spur-opening; spur long or short, cylindrical. Anther upright, the loculi adjacent and parallel, canals usually ± elongated, adnate to the side lobes of the rostellum, auricles undivided, rugulose; pollinaria 2, each with sectile pollinium, rather long slender caudicle and small naked viscidium; stigmatic processes elongated, the lower part adnate to the lip, the free part club-shaped; rostellum standing out in front of the anther, convex and usually hooded, 3-lobed, with a relatively short middle lobe and often long slender side lobes.