Herbs, epiphytic, climbing, monopodial. Stems pendulous or climbing, short or long, slender, internodes elongated, with few to many nodes. Leaves many, distichous, linear to elliptic, slightly fleshy or leathery, base sheathing and jointed, apex usually unequally bilobed. Inflorescences lateral, axillary, several to many or rarely solitary, peduncle very short, 1-to several flowered, often more than 1 per node. Flowers lasting ca. 1 week, resupinate, opening widely, usually yellowish with light brown or purple markings, rather small. Sepals and petals free. Petals slightly smaller than sepals; lip immovable, spurred or saccate at base, 3-lobed; lateral lobes erect; mid-lobe sometimes 3-lobed, often hairy or papillate; sac or spur often thickened, with a hairy ligulate appendage on back wall just below base of column. Column short and stout, without a foot, often with small roughly hairy stelidia; rostellum short; pollinia waxy, 4, appearing as 2 unequal masses, attached by a common linear-oblong stipe to a small, ovate or elliptic viscidium.
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Large epiphytic orchids with straggly, erect or pendulous stems and thick, spreading roots forming tangles and buttresses. Leaves large, leathery. Inflorescences short, 1-to few-flowered, arising in bursts from floral meristems along nodes. Flowers resupinate, relatively small, colourful, crowded on short stalks. Sepals generally broader than petals. Dorsal sepal free. Bases of lateral sepals attached to column. Petals free. Labellum immovably attached to thickened column base. Labellum lamina 3-lobed, fleshy, usually hairy on upper surface; lateral lobes free or partly fused to column; spur fleshy. Column short, without distinct basal foot. Pollinia 4 in 2 appressed pairs, orange, hard, waxy, sessile, attached via narrow stipe to small viscidium.
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