a genus of plants of the family Orchidaceae. The perennial aboveground or epiphytic herbaceous plants have rhizomes and thickened bulbous stems (pseudobulbs). The stems bear two leaves on top. The flowers are in loose, drooping racemes, which are aromatic in some species. The sepals and petals, which are almost identical, are white, cream, greenish yellow, or green. The lip is trilobate, with lengthwise keeled lobes that are frequently marked with yellow, orange, brown, or almost black spots or patterns. There are about 200 species, distributed in central and western China, in India, and on the islands of the Indian and Pacific oceans. Some species are cultivated in winter gardens as ornamentals. The white-flowered Coelogynecristata, from the eastern Himalayas, is frequently used as a houseplant.