Erect epiphytic herbs with elongate, subcylindric, tapering, strongly ridged pseudobulbs 6.5-15 cm. long and 2.5-4 cm. wide, bearing at the apex 2 firm, lanceolate, plicate, strongly veined, acute or acuminate leaves 30-60 cm. long and 4-10 cm. wide. Inflorescences slender, elongate, pendent racemes 30-50 cm. long, from the base of the pseudobulbs. Flowers usually 2-3, large and attractive, of variable color, the lip complexly 4-parted. Sepals membranaceous, free, clear yellow with a few purple spots, pale purple, or reddish-brown, dorsal sepal sub-orbicular-ovate, broadly acute and minutely apiculate, the apical half strongly reflexed, the lateral margins revolute, 2-2.5 cm. long and 3-3.5 cm. broad when spread out, lateral sepals very strongly reflexed, from a broadly lobulate base, obliquely subfalcate, or the pair when spread out obliquely dolabriform, 5-6.5 cm. long and 2.5-4 cm. broad. Petals membranaceous, usually colored similarly to the sepals, ligular-lanceolate, the apices obliquely subacute, the margins undulate, 3-3.5 cm. long and .6-1.0 cm. wide. Lip very fleshy, complexly 4-parted, clear waxy yellow, pale purplish spotted with blood red, or the hypochile yellow, the mesochile and epichile reddish brown on the outer surfaces, the inner epichile white spotted red-brown. Claw of the lip semiterete, continuous with the base of the column; hypochile broadly galeate, glabrous, the apex obtuse or subacute, in profile 2-2.5 cm. long and 2-2.5 cm. broad; mesochile canaliculate, glabrous, the basal half covered by the hypochile, in profile 2.5-3 cm. long and .8-1.5 cm. wide; epichile deeply cucullate or galeate, broadly obtuse, seen in profile 3-3.5 cm. long and 2.5-3.5 cm. broad, in fresh material resembling a waxy cup or bucket, prolonged below the apex of the column into a 3-cornute spout or channel. Column subterete, without a foot, near the base with 2 broad, lateral, subfalcate or obliquely auriculate glands, 8-10 mm. long and 5-10 mm. wide, the apex strongly reflexed and shortly 2-alate on either side of the clinandrium.
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