Beloglottis Schltr. in Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 37(2): 364, 1920. 
Etymology: Bel/os = dart and glotta = tongue, in reference to 
the shape of the lip of the type species. 
Sepals subparallel, essentially free, occasionally connate to a 
negligible distance akin to a shallow cap, the apices arcuately 
spreading; lateral sepals with an oblique, subdecurrent base. 
Petals parallel and agglutinate with dorsal sepal, short-decurrent 
at base. Lip distinctly unguiculate, the claw adnate to base of 
lateral sepals, lamina canaliculate with sagittate base, lateral 
margins in middle agglutinate with sides of column. Column 
rather short, due to inflated clinandrium basally ballooned out, 
partly adnate to dorsal sepal, basally produced into a short, 
oblique foot without forming an ovarian spur or mentum, stig- 
mata 2, anterior, touching each other in middle; rostellum short, 
erect, bilobed, bifid or distinctly bidentate. Anther more or less 
ovate, concave, acute, slightly cordate at base; pollinia clavate 
with narrowly elliptic viscidium tightly inserted between rostel- 
lar lobes. Ovary slender, cylindric, sessile. 
Terrestrial plants with fasciculate, puberulent roots. Leaves 
several, basal, petiolate. Scape slender, erect, bracteolate, termi- 
nated by a loosely to densely many-flowered spike. Flowers 
small to almost inconspicuous. 
TYPE: Spiranthes costaricensis Rchb.f. 
Seven species native to tropical and subtropical regions of the 
New World. 
Index to species 
bicaudata (Ames) Garay 
boliviensis Schltr. 
costaricensis (Rchb.f.) Schltr. 
ecallosa (A. & S.) Hamer & Garay 
Hameri Garay 
mexicana Garay 
Beloglottis subpandurata (A. & S.) Garay, comb. nov. 
Basionym: Spiranthes subpandurata A. & S., Sched. Orch. 8: 4, 1925. 
Brachystele Schltr. in Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 37(2): 370, 1920. 
Etymology: Brachys = short and stele = pillar, column, in 
reference to the short column. 
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