Physurus Richard ex Lindley, nom. illeg. superfl.

Herbs, terrestrial or rarely epiphytic. Rhizome creeping, cylindric, fleshy, noded, with several roots at nodes. Stem erect or decumbent, terete, with several to many subrosulate leaves. Leaves green to reddish purple, ovate to elliptic, slightly fleshy, with amplexicaul petiole-like bases. Inflorescence erect, pubescent, terminating in a short, many-flowered raceme. Flowers resupinate, small; ovary pubescent. Sepals abaxially hairy; dorsal sepal and petals adnate and forming a hood; lateral sepals free, spreading. Lip erect, entire or 3-lobed, adnate to column at base, spurred at base; spur tubular, protruding beyond base of lateral sepals, apex obtuse, unlobed or slightly 2-lobed, containing 2 clavate appendages or empty. Column short, apically dilated; anther erect, ovoid, 2-locular; pollinia 2, each ± longitudinally 2-parted, clavate, granular-farinaceous, sectile, attached to an ovate-lanceolate viscidium; rostellum erect, bifid; stigma lobes connate, below base of rostellum. Capsule fusiform.

About 20 species: tropical Asia from India and Sri Lanka to New Guinea and the Pacific islands; two species in China.

(Authors: Chen Xinqi (陈心启 Chen Sing-chi); Stephan W. Gale, Phillip J. Cribb, Paul Ormerod)