Sepals rather similar, free, connivent, with somewhat arcu- 
ately spreading apices; dorsal sepal concave to cucullate; lateral 
sepals oblique, but without a decurrent base. Petals agglutinate 
with dorsal sepal, oblique at base. Lip fleshy, broadly unguicu- 
late, concave to conduplicate, recurved at more or less undulate- 
crispate apex, basally provided on each side of the claw with a 
marginal or intramarginal, more or less conical, falcate callus, 
the sides agglutinate with sides of column. Column relatively 
short, cylindric, arcuately expanded upwards, basally produced 
in a short, incurved foot; stigmata 2, confluent, bilobed; rostel- 
lum divided into two distinct, sharply pointed or filiform seg- 
ments. Anther cordate, acute to obtuse, rather deeply concave: 
pollinia clavate with linear-oblong viscidium. Ovary sessile, 
cylindric to fusiform, twisted. 
Terrestrial, slender plants. Roots fasciculate, tuberous or fusi- 
form, fleshy. Leaves synanthous or proteranthous, commonly 
basal or near to base, rarely cauline. Scape slender, erect, vagi- 
nate, terminated by a loosely- to densely-flowered inflorescence 
which is arranged in a single or double spiral. Flowers rather 
small. 
LECTOTYPE: Ophrys spiralis L. [Greene, Prop. Brit. Bot. 
100, 1929] 
42 species native mostly to the temperate regions of North 
America and Eurasia with representatives in Australia, New 
Caledonia and New Zealand; a few species are native to the 
tropical and subtropical regions of Central America, West 
Indies, northern part of South America, as well as various 
regions of Malaysia, from Malaya to New Guinea. 
Index to species 
abyssinica Hochst. ex A. Rich. = Deroemera squamata Rchb.f. 
acaulis (J.E.Sm.) Cogn, = Sarcoglottis acaulis (J.E.Sm.) Schltr. 
actinosophila Barb.Rodr. = Eurystyles actinosophila (Barb.Rodr.) Schltr. 
acutata Rchb.f. & Warm. = Sarcoglottis acutata (Rchb.f, & Warm.) Garay 
adnata (Sw.) Benth. ex Fawc. = Pelexia adnata (Sw.) Spreng. 
aestivalis Oakes = Spiranthes lucida (H.H. Eaton) Ames 
aestivalis (Poir.) L.C.Rich. 
affinis C. Schweinf. = Mesadenus affinis (C. Schweinf.) Garay 
africana Lindl. = Benthamia spiralis (Thou.) A. Rich. 
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