Perennial herbs with spherical corms. Leaves few, the lowest membranous and sheathing the stem base, the foliage leaves 2-4, appearing with the flowers. Inflorescence of spikes bearing many flowers per axis. Flowers zygomorphic; tepals united into a short tube, unequal, linear-spathulate, obtuse, the upper tepal much exceeding the others and arched over the stamens, the lower 3 tepals smallest. Worldwide: 4 species in Tropical Africa from Senegal to Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia. Malawi: 1 taxon. |
|