Tridactyle Schltr.

Epiphytic monopodial herbs with short to long unbranched or little branched, erect to pendent stems, covered by sheathing leaf-bases. Leaves thin-textured or fleshy, all along stem, distichous, usually twisted at base to lie in one plane, linear to elliptic or narrowly lanceolate, unequally bilobed at apex, articulated at base to a sheathing leaf-base. Inflorescences emerging through the leaf-sheaths opposite the leaves, 2–many-flowered; peduncle usually short; rhachis often zig-zag; bracts amplexicaul. Flowers usually rather small and seldom showy, white, yellow, orange or green, usually scented; pedicel and ovary short, often lepidote. Sepals and petals subsimilar, free, spreading. Lip entire to 3-lobed, auriculate at base, with a short to long spur at the base. Column short, fleshy, lacking a foot; anther-cap thin-textured, smooth or papillate; pollinia 2; stipes 1, entire or Y-shaped; viscidium circular or elliptic, usually rather small; rostellum elongate, tapering to apex, slender.