Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Erect, terrestrial or epiphytic herbs, shoots few to numerous, well–developed, up to 2 m tall.

Stems: Rhizomes creeping. pseudostems robust.

Roots: Fibrous root system.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate, distichous, oriented parallel to rhizome. Margins entire. Lateral veins parallel, diverging from prominent midrib. Subsessile to sessile; ligules conspicuous, membranous. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in thyrses terminal on leafy shoots, pedunculate, simple, spicate, cylindrical, ovoid, or nearly fusiform, primary bracts numerous, broad and imbricate and concealing the rachis or narrow, enfolding the cincinni and partially exposing the rachis, cincinni (1)2–6–flowered, bracteoles tubular. Flowers bisexual (perfect), fragrant, zygomorphic, pedicellate. Calyx 3-lobed, the lobes unequal. Corolla adnate with the stamens into a floral tube, distally 3-lobed, floral tube usually exceeding the calyx; calyx tubular, apex unequally dentate; corolla lobes unequal, linear–lanceolate. Stamens 5, in 2 whorls, only the posterior one of the inner whorl fertile, the other 2 members of inner whorl connate to form a highly variable, often conspicuous labellum; labellum obcordate, nearly always 2-lobed, clawed, conspicuous, staminodes petaloid, usually as long as the corolla lobes but wider; filament usually long, slender; anther broadly linear, distinct at base, connective not forming a crest. Ovary inferior, 3-celled, placentation axile; ovules numerous; style exceeding the anther; stigma ciliate.

Fruit: Capsules globose or oblong; loculicidally 3–valved; crowned by the persistent calyx. Seeds oblong–globose; with laciniate arils.

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