Herbs, terrestrial, rarely epiphytic, sympodial. Roots fasciculate, fleshy, villous. Stems simple, rhizomatous. Leaves mostly basal, subsessile to petiolate; blade not articulate, thin, delicate. Inflorescences terminal, few- to many-flowered racemes; peduncles bracteate, glandular-pubescent. Flowers not resupinate, erect or suberect, dishlike; perianth spreading; dorsal sepal lightly adherent to petals at apex; lateral sepals distinct or connate; petals free or adnate to basal flanks of column, obliquely triangular, clawed, conspicuous, often forming 'pseudolip'; lip adnate to base of column, distinctly to obscurely clawed, deeply concave, fleshy; column semiterete, dilated and slightly winged distally, short, apex pointed; anther adaxial, erect behind rostellum; pollinia 4, bright yellow, clavate, joined in pairs, firm but somewhat mealy, attached to caudicles; stigma entire; viscidium terminal; pedicellate ovary pubescent. Fruits capsules, suberect, ellipsoid [obovoid].

Fls not resupinate, the lip uppermost; lateral sep inequilateral; lateral pet arising from near the middle of the column, strongly inequilateral, directed forward, cohering at the tip; lip clawed, the broad blade folded and at first embracing the column; anther subterminal, with 4 pollinia; rhizomatous perennials with a cluster of basal lvs and an erect scape bearing a few narrow scales and a terminal raceme. 25, warm Amer.

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

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