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Herbs terrestrial or epiphytic, with tuberous rhizomes. Pseudostems erect, leafy. Ligule conspicuous; leaf blade usually oblong or lanceolate. Inflorescence a terminal spike, densely numerous flowered; bracts imbricate or lax, 1-or more flowered; bracteoles tubular. Calyx tubular, usually split on 1 side, apex truncate or 3-toothed. Corolla tube long, slender; lobes reflexed at anthesis, linear. Lateral staminodes petaloid, larger than corolla lobes. Labellum suborbicular, large, apex usually 2-cleft; claw long or short. Filament usually long, rarely absent; anther dorsifixed, base divaricate; connective appendage absent. Ovary 3-loculed; placentation axile. Capsule globose, 3-valved. Seeds numerous; aril lacerate.
Pseudostems well-developed, 1--3 m. Inflorescences projecting from tip of pseudostem, dense, conelike [lax]; bracts of main axis crowded [not crowded], [2.5--]4--6[--7] cm, ovate to lanceolate [or almost circular]; cincinni sessile, [1--]2--3[--6]-flowered, enclosed in bracts; bracteoles small, inconspicuous, hidden by bracts. Flowers: calyx cylindric, 3-toothed or-lobed, split down one side [not split]; corolla tube slender, lobes linear; filament linear, tubular-incurved, enclosing style; anther long-exserted, not spurred, terminal appendage none; lateral staminodes large, petal-like, lip oblong, plane, 2-lobed. Fruits capsule, globose. x = 17.
Leaf shoots many-bladed. Inflorescence many-flowered, terminal on leafy shoot; bracts free, broad and imbricate, concealing main axis, or narrow and strap-shaped, each subtending 3-6 flowers; bracteoles tubular. Corolla tube slender; lobes ± equal. Labellum conspicuous. Lateral staminodes petaloid. Filament usually long, slender; anther not crested. Ovary trilocular. Fruit a capsule.
