Citation: Salisb., Parad. Lond. t. 83 (1807).

Derivation: Greek Korybas, one of the dancing priests of Phrygia.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Helmet-orchids.

Description:
Dwarf terrestrial herbs arising from small rounded tubers; leaf single, ovate-cordate or rotund, with a scarious sheathing bract below it.

Flower resupinate, relatively large, solitary, sessile or pedicellate; pedicel elongated in the fruiting stage; dorsal sepal large, erect, incurved, hood-shaped; lateral sepals and petals subulate, diminutive; labellum large, tubular, its base erect and enclosing the column, expanded towards the orifice, the expanded portion reflexed or recurved; column short, fleshy, erect; anther 2-celled, erect, valvate; pollinia 4, in 2 pairs attached directly to the viscid disk of the rostellum without the intervention of a caudicle; granular or mealy.

Distribution:  A rather extensive genus comprising at least 80 spp., ranging as far north as China and Japan extending westward to the Himalayas, traceable through the Indian Archipelago to New Guinea, where the maximum number of species appears to occur (50 species); also reported from islands of the Polynesian group and from New Zealand (8 species); represented in Australia by 12 species. 1 species C macranthus has the most southerly distribution of any orchid, occurring on Macquarie Island in the sub-Antarctic.

Biology: Pollinated by small fungus flies.

Key to Species:

1. Leaves ovate-cordate; labellure margins entire, cohering for most of their length with the dorsal sepal to form a tube
2. Leaves red below; labellum wholly red, with a longitudinal crest of pale cilia	C. unguiculatus 4.
2. Leaves green below; labellum striated red and white, a few cilia near the orifice only	C. fordhamii 3.
1. Leaves orbicular, with a tendency to lobing; labellum margins fringed, serrulate or ragged, cohering with the dorsal sepal only near the base
3. Dorsal sepal broad, 5-15 mm wide, forming a hood over the labellum with a broad orifice
4. Margins of the labellum flared outwards, central boss not channelled	C. diemenicus 2.
4. Margins of the labellure incurved, central boss channelled	C. sp.a 5.
3. Dorsal sepal much reduced, 3-4 mm wide, not hooded	C. despectans 1.

Author: Not yet available