Greek stenos – narrow; glottis – mouth of windpipe; an allusion to the narrow divisions of the labellum.
Terrestrial, epiphytic or epilithic herbs, sympodial, deciduous. Roots several, fleshy or tuber-like, often woolly, found below leaves. Leaves few to many, in basal rosette, thin, short or long, margins sometimes wavy, green to purplish, stalkless. Inflorescence a terminal raceme, erect, bract-like leaves present. Flowers resupinate, few?many, small, white, pink or mauve with darker spots. Sepals similar, free or joined at base to column and labellum. Petals often wider than sepals, free, curved inwards around column. Labellum wedge-shaped, base joined to column, spur sometimes present, apically 3-7-lobed. Column short, broad. Pollinia 2, club-shaped.
4 species from Africa.
Many small bright flowers in erect racemes; labellum with 3, 5 or 7 narrow apical lobes.
Stewart et al. (1982).
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.