Small perennial terrestrial herbs with creeping slender underground rhizome. Leaves several, subtended basally by small cataphylls; petiole lacking apical pulvinus; sheath inconspicuous; blade cordate-ovate; main side veins excurrent into margins, finer venation reticulate. Inflorescence appearing with leaves, longer than petiole; peduncle slender. Spathe simple, broadly ovate-elliptic to subcircular, expanded, arching backwards, persistent in fruit, mucronate to shortly acuminate, decurrent at base. Spadix shorter than spathe, basal pistillate part adnate on one side to spathe and ± contiguous (naked interstice sometimes present) with free apical staminate part. Flowers unisexual, lacking perigon. Stamens free, densely congested, sessile; anthers dehiscing by short apical elliptic pores; connective ± slender. Pistils few, narrowly flask-shaped, ± distant towards base of spadix; ovary unilocular, with single basal ovule; stigma capitate on slender attenuate style. Berries elliptic, 1-seeded. Seed with endosperm; embryo elongate.