`SECTION Balaenoidea Pfitz 1888

TYPE species: Bulbophyllum balaeniceps Rchb.f. 1863

Epiphyte with a creeping rhizome giving rise to a pseudobulb carrying a single, persistent leaf that blooms on an inflorescence carrying 1 to 2, resupinate flowers that have the basal node of the pedicel above the attachment of the floral bract. The dorsal sepal is free with 9 veins and the lateral sepals are adherent along the lower margin and are 2 times as long as the dorsal sepal. The 3 veined petals are entire to erose, the lip is mobile on a thin ligament and is trilobed. The stigma is not proximally protruding on the column and the stelida are shorter than 1/2 the length of the column and are denticulate along the upper margin or not. The anterior surface of the anther is concave and the anterior margin is drawn out like a beak. There are 4 pollina.

There is a single species currently in this section that is confined to India and Sri Lanka

Entries below with an asterix are listed in publications by J J Vermeullen etal.[2014/15] and so are more likely correct than ones without. Species with a question mark in front, seem to me to not conform and so please use with caution. If a sectional name has a "`" in front then it is a complete section with all the known species represented.

1. *!Bulbophyllum balaeniceps Rchb.f. 1863 India and Sri Lanka