Greek acantha - thorn; ephippion - saddle; the labellum resembles a saddle.
Epiphytic or terrestrial herbs, sympodial, rhizomes absent. Stems thickened into large ovoid pseudobulbs, dense, grooved, often purplish. Leaves apical, 1-3, large, papery, pleated, deciduous, stalked. Inflorescences near-basal racemes, erect. Flowers resupinate, few, medium sized, fleshy, pale with darker stripes. Sepals fused for most of their length to form a swollen tube enclosing petals and labellum, joined to column foot. Petals smaller than sepals, free. Labellum 3-lobed, hinged, saddleshaped, spur present or absent. Column short, fleshy, with a long foot. Pollinia 8, in 2 unequal bundles of 4, granular.
About 15 species from tropical Asia to Fiji.
Leaves pleated; inflorescence elongates after flowering; moderately large swollen tubular flowers; saddle-shaped labellum.
Source: (2005). Orchidaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.
