Greek cerato – horn; stylis – style; an allusion to the fleshy horn-like column.
Epiphytic or terrestrial herbs, sympodial, with long or short creeping or pendent rhizomes. Stems cylindrical, short or long, simple or branched, tufted, rarely leafless and rush-like, clothed in persistent brown papery bracts. Leaves apical, usually 1, fleshy. Inflorescences apical, from bracts subtending leaves. Flowers resupinate, 1-few, usually small, white, pink, orange or red. Sepals similar, dorsal free, laterals fused to column foot forming a pouch. Petals narrower than sepals, free. Labellum entire, fleshy, clawed, joined to column foot. Column short, tip 2-lobed or with 2 arms, with a long foot. Pollinia 8, small. Syn. Ceratostylus.
About 70 species from India to SE Asia, the Philippines, New Guinea and Pacific Is.
Small plants consisting of slender grass-like stems each with a single fleshy apical leaf; small, often colourful flowers emerging from bracts at the base of the leaves.
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.