Greek geo – earth; doron – gift; an allusion to the terrestrial habit.
Terrestrial herbs, sympodial. Stems thickened into wholly or partly subterranean pseudobulbs, almost spherical or flattened. Leaves apical, 2 to several, large, thin, pleated, deciduous, stalked. Inflorescences lateral racemes, dense, erect with the tip nodding, straightening in fruit. Flowers resupinate, few-many, confined to upper part of stalk, medium sized, opening widely or only partly, variously coloured. Sepals similar, free. Petals often slightly larger than sepals, free. Labellum obscurely 3-lobed, concave, keeled, base fused to base of column foot. Column short, winged, with a short foot. Pollinia 2, waxy.
About 10 species from S Asia to Australia and the W Pacific.
Moderately robust terrestrials with the flower stalk bending over at 180 degrees below lowest flower and straightening after flowering has finished.
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.