Epiphytic herbs with short, ovoid or elliptic-oblong, compressed, 1-to 2-leaved pseudobulbs distantly inserted on an elongate rhizome, or approximate, usually almost completely hidden by the conduplicate, imbricating bases of 2 to several conspicuous, foliaceous bracts. Leaves of the apex of the pseudobulbs and the blades of the foliaceous bracts coriaceous, ligular to elliptic-lanceolate, obtuse to acute, or unequally emarginate. Inflorescences 1 to several simple, erect or deflexed racemes, produced from the axils of the foliaceous bracts. Flowers few to many, of moderate size to relatively large and conspicuous. Sepals usually dissimilar, the dorsal sepal free, concave and petaloid, the laterals usually connate for their entire length, forming a single conduplicate segment below the lip, often strongly genic-ulate or gibbose when seen in profile, or rarely connate for only about half their length, with the acute apices spreading. Petals subequal to the dorsal sepal. Lip usually exceeding the sepals, the base clawed, continuous with the base of the column and produced into a short spur or gibbose projection which is appressed to the ovary, the claw parallel with the column, the free limb spreading, obovate or obcordate, the disk often cristate. Column erect, slender, subcylindric, the apex dilated or subclavate, often with variously shaped arms or auricles, the base with-out a foot. Anther terminal, operculate, incumbent, 1-celled; pollinia 2, waxy.
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