Herbs , perennial, rhizomatous, erect, decumbent, reclining, or somewhat scandent, simple or sparsely branched, 8-40 cm, mostly glabrous, without black, glandular dots. Leaves alternate; petiole 1/5-1/2, mostly ca. 1/3, length of blade, glabrous. Leaf blade highly variable in size and shape, prominently to obscurely pinnately veined, elliptic, broadly elliptic, or spatulate to ovate, obovate, or very broadly ovate or broadly obovate, 2.2-13 × 1.5-5.5 cm, lateral veins arching-ascending, originating from base to about middle of blade, base attenuate, mostly narrowly to broadly cuneate, rarely slightly acuminate, apex obtuse, rounded, retuse, or notched; surfaces mostly glabrous. Spikes mostly terminal, 1-2, densely flowered, 5.5-23 cm; peduncle with microscopic, spiculelike hairs, mature fruiting spikes 3.5-5.5 mm diam. Fruits sessile, ellipsoid, both ends rounded, 0.8-1.1 × 0.4-0.5 mm, faintly longitudinally striate; beak elongate, 0.5-0.7 mm, filiform above narrowly to broadly conic base, straight or S-shaped, abruptly hooked near apex.

Flowering all year. Hummocks, epiphytic or terrestrial on rotten logs and humus; 0-20 m; Fla.; Mexico; West Indies; n South America.