This genus consists of sympodial terrestrials that are found in shady, low to mid elevation, forest margins. Distribution of this orchid ranges from the southeastern United States (Florida), the Bahamas, Cuba to Trinidad, Mexico to Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. They are erect plants that have unbranched, usually leafless stems. The deciduous, blue-green to dark green leaves form a basal rosette or cluster that may be absent at flowering. The stem is a smooth, maroon to pink, hairy, loosely arranged, few-flowered inflorescence. The showy flower is often fragrant, with green-white to pale brown flowers with long, narrow, lateral sepals that are joined for variable lengths. The thinly textured, delicate entrance lip is joined at the base of the lateral sepals forming a spur that is cylindrical to club-shaped and recurved near its tip. The flowers have a white, long, slender, club-shaped column that is flat or channeled, and smoothly textured to shortly hairy.

North American Species in this Genus

• Eltroplectris calcarata