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Acaulescent (all Guiana species) or rarely caulescent herbs. Leaves densely polystichous, entire. Scape usually conspicuous. Inflorescence mostly bipinnate or simple, its branches polystichously flowered. Flowers perfect; sepals free to highly connate, symmetric or asymmetric; petals naked, their claws distinct from the blades and agglutinated in a tube; stamens equal, more or less agglutinated to the petal-tube; ovary superior, style elongate; ovules numerous. Capsule septicidal; seeds with coma basal, straight, usually brown.
Plant usually stemless and epiphytic. Leaves entire, the sheaths usually con-spicuous. Inflorescence simple or compound, the spikes always polystichous-flowered. Flowers perfect. Sepals usually connate. Petals connate or closely agglutinated, naked, yellow or white. Stamens usually included, the filaments appearing more or less fused to the petals. Ovary wholly superior, glabrous. Ovules numerous. Capsule septicidal. Seeds with a long basal straight usually brownish coma.
