Anoectochilus sect. Myrmechis Lindley, Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. 500. 1840; Tubilabium J. J. Smith.

Herbs, terrestrial or rarely epiphytic, small. Rhizome elongate, creeping or decumbent, several noded, fleshy; roots hairlike, arranged in irregular clumps or ridges along rhizome internodes. Stem ascending, terete, glabrous, with few to many scattered leaves. Leaves green, ovate or orbicular, small, usually less than 2 cm, slightly fleshy, base shortly petiolate and dilating into tubular amplexicaul sheath. Inflorescence abbreviate or occasionally elongate, glabrous to pubescent, with a few sheathing bracts proximally and 1 to few flowers in a short terminal raceme. Flowers not opening fully, resupinate, small; ovary erect, twisted, glabrous to pubescent. Sepals similar, glabrous to pubescent on outer surface, free or basally connate; dorsal sepal often concave at base; lateral sepals oblique, concave, enclosing base of lip. Petals oblong to elliptic, margin oblique to subequal, connivent with dorsal sepal and forming a hood though apex usually free; lip basally adnate to column margin, 3-partite; hypochile saccate, containing a single, fleshy, entire or divided callus on either side of midvein at base; mesochile elongate, margin involute, subtubular, glabrous or pubescent; epichile transversely dilated or distinctly 2-lobed. Column very short, ventrally with 2 ligulate to longitudinally transverse, low wings; anther ovoid, 2-locular; clinandrium shallow; pollinia 2, 2-partite, granular-farinaceous, sectile, basally attenuate and attached to a solitary, elliptic viscidium; rostellum erect, short, 2-lobed; stigma lobes partly free at apical corners of column, protruding from lateral margin of rostellum.

About 15 species: NE India and the E Himalayas to S Japan, the Philippines, SE Asia, and New Guinea; five species (three endemic) in China.

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