Sinorchis S. C. Chen.

Herbs, terrestrial, leafless, holomycotrophic. Rhizome short; roots fascicled, spreading, fleshy. Stem erect, fleshy, unbranched, usually pale brown, with loose cymbiform or cylindric sheaths enclosing proximal nodes and scalelike sterile bracts at distal nodes. Inflorescence terminal, racemose, few to many flowered; floral bracts membranous. Flowers resupinate, small to medium-sized, often with long pedicel and ovary. Sepals similar, free, often weakly concave-cymbiform. Petals similar to but shorter and narrower than sepals; lip adnate to base of column, 2-partite; hypochile often winged; epichile hinged at junction with hypochile and often deflexed, entire or lobed. Column arcuate, long, slender; anther borne at anterior margin of clinandrium, suberect, 2-locular; filament extremely short; staminodes 2 (1 on either side of column), apical, white, spotted with silver; pollinia 2, granular-farinaceous, caudicles absent; viscidium large; stigma concave, near apex of column; rostellum very small. Capsule usually pendulous.

About 30 species: mainly in tropical Asia and the Himalayas, extending as far north as Japan and south to Australia; five species (one endemic) in China.

(Authors: Chen Xinqi (陈心启 Chen Sing-chi); Stephan W. Gale)