Herbs, terrestrial, sympodial. Roots fasciculate, fleshy, villous. Stems erect, rhizomatous, short. Leaves several, basal, petiolate; blade not articulate, involute when immature, margins entire. Inflorescences terminal, laxly to densely flowered racemes, erect, scapose, slender. Flowers resupinate; perianth parts partially connate, apices spreading to recurved; sepals subsimilar, subparallel; dorsal sepal adherent to base of column; lateral sepals attached to column foot; petals adnate to dorsal sepal, falcate; lip auriculate, canaliculate; column arcuate, column foot present, clinandrium inflated; stigmas 2, confluent; rostellum narrow, notched; anther stalked, cordate, curved backward during anthesis, surpassing rostellum; pollinia 4, clavate, soft, mealy; viscidium ovate to subelliptic. Fruits capsules, erect, obliquely fusiform to ovoid.

Distribution

Tropical and subtropical regions, North America, Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America.

Discussion

Species 7 (1 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Mesadenus lucayanus