Cheirostylis Blume

Herbs, terrestrial or occasionally epiphytic, small. Rhizome decumbent, moniliform to terete, fleshy, with many contracted nodes; roots usually reduced to fine hairs and arranged along ridges on rhizome internodes, rarely fleshy and emerging from rhizome nodes. Stem erect, very short to elongate, glabrous, with 2 to several subrosulate or scattered cauline leaves. Leaves often withered at anthesis, ovate to cordate, with a short petiole-like base dilating into a tubular amplexicaul sheath. Inflorescence erect, terminal, racemose, very short to elongate, 1-to many flowered, glabrous to pubescent. Flowers resupinate, usually small, mostly not secund; ovary shortly pedicellate, twisted, fusiform, glabrous to pubescent. Sepals membranous, outer surface glabrous to pubescent, connate for half to almost entire length and forming a tube, or rarely free. Petals usually connivent with dorsal sepal; lip adnate to column margin at base, sometimes simple and entire though usually 3-partite; hypochile often dilated and saccate, containing fleshy, lobed or seriate (comblike) papillose calli; mesochile subtubular, short to elongate; epichile spreading, 2-lobed or rarely entire, margin laciniate, dentate, wavy, or entire. Column short, ventrally with 2 elongate armlike appendages (stelidia) parallel to rostellum; anther erect, ovoid, 2-locular; pollinia 2, each longitudinally 2-partite, granular-farinaceous, clavate, attached to solitary oblong viscidium; rostellum deeply bifid, 2 elongate arms erect, parallel; stigma lobes 2, separate, convex, rather large, placed laterally near apex of column and below rostellum. Capsule ellipsoid.

Plants grow on the floor of wetter forests, including rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest, less commonly in sheltered situations in more open habitats.