Greek habena – strap or rein; an allusion to slender lobes on the labellum or to the long slender spur at its base.
Terrestrial or rarely epiphytic herbs, sympodial, mostly deciduous. Tubers simple or lobed, paired at base of leaves, sometimes also produced singly at ends of stolons. Leaves along stems grading to bracts or sometimes basal, sheathing, linear to lanceolate, margins entire, fleshy or leathery. Inflorescence a terminal raceme, erect. Flowers resupinate, 1-many, small to large, mostly white or green but sometimes yellow, pink, orange or red. Sepals usually free, similar, dorsal erect, often forming a hood with petals, laterals longer than dorsal, spreading or curved backwards. Petals smaller than sepals, entire or bilobed. Labellum entire or 3-lobed, spurred at base, side lobes sometimes fringed, midlobe often with further lobes. Column long or short, complex. Pollinia 2, club-shaped.
About 600 species from tropical and subtropical regions of the world.
Petals and/or labellum often with narrow lobes; labellum spurred at base.
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.