Ornithoboea are perennial herbs, with stems curved at base. Leaves are opposite, often (slightly) anisophyllous. Distribution is from southern China southward to the northern part of the Malay Peninsula (China, Malaysia, east Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam).
The plants grow on rocks, in shaded, humid places and some (possibly all) species are confined to limestone.
A few species, in particular O. arachnoidea (S. China, N. Thailand), are remarkable for the extraordinary similarity of the flowers to orchid flowers.
Source (adapted): Genera of Gesneriaceae