Plants ca. 1 m tall. Leaves subsessile; ligule 2--4 mm; leaf blade lanceolate, 11--75 × 1.5--8.5 cm, abaxially densely appressed pubescent along sides of midvein, base usually cuneate, margin bristly, apex long acuminate. Spikes with peduncle embedded in ground, 1.5--33 cm; bracts white, lanceolate, 3.5--6 × 0.5--1.5 cm; bracteoles deltoid-lanceolate, not tubular, 0.5--3.5 cm. Calyx 3.3--4.5 cm, apex 3-toothed; teeth ca. 8 mm. Corolla white, 3--4.5 cm, adaxially hairy; lobes lanceolate, hoodlike, 3.5--4 × 0.8--1.2 cm, central one apiculate at apex. Lateral staminodes subulate, ca. 4 mm. Labellum purple at claw, yellowish at apex, fan-shaped or spatulate, 3.5--4 × 2.5--3 cm, base adnate to filament forming a tube 0.7--1.3 cm. Filament ca. 7 mm; anther 1.1--1.4 cm; connective appendage entire, ca. 5 mm. Ovary pubescent. Capsule pale purple, subglobose, 1--2 cm, with 12 sometimes obscure lines. Fl. May--Jun, fr. Aug--Sep. 2 n = 48*.