After George Barker (–1845), British horticulturist who imported and flowered the type species B.elegans Knowles & Westc.
Epiphytic or epilithic herbs, sympodial, rhizomes short or absent. Stems cane-like or thickened into slender pseudobulbs, base covered by sheaths. Leaves along stems, 2-7, flat, slightly fleshy, soft, sheathing at base, stalkless. Inflorescences terminal racemes, sometimes branched, cylindrical to pyramidal, erect or pendent. Flowers resupinate, few-many, medium sized to large, showy, white to deep pink. Sepals and petals similar, free, spreading or curved backwards. Labellum entire, free or joined to base of column. Column short or long, winged. Pollinia 4, compressed, waxy.
About 16 species from Mexico and C America.
Similar to Epidendrum, but, unlike that genus, at least half of the column is not joined to the labellum.
Withner (1998).
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.