Plants 15-35 cm tall, with a stout, rather short rhizome. Stem erect, glabrous or pubescent near upper nodes, with several sheaths at base and 3 or rarely 2 or 4 leaves above. Leaf blade elliptic, ovate-elliptic, or broadly elliptic, 8-16 × 3-9 cm, glabrous or sparsely puberulent, minutely ciliate, apex acute, acuminate, or obtuse. Inflorescence terminal, with 1 flower, usually appearing before full development of leaves; floral bracts foliaceous, elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, 6-11 × 2-5 cm, apex acute or acuminate; pedicel and ovary 2-3 cm, glabrous or occasionally slightly pubescent toward apex. Flower large, nodding; sepals and petals white or yellow, boldly striped with purple to deep maroon; lip purple or dark maroon, usually with a white-margined rim. Dorsal sepal elliptic or ovate-elliptic, 3-6 × 2.5-4 cm, abaxially glabrous or occasionally sparsely puberulent, ± minutely ciliate, apex acuminate, acute, or mucronulate; synsepal similar to dorsal sepal, but slightly shorter and narrower, apex shallowly 2-lobed. Petals lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 3.5-6.5 × 1.5-2.5 cm, with very conspicuous veins, densely pubescent toward adaxial base, sparsely minutely ciliate, apex acuminate or acute; lip deeply pouched, subglobose to ellipsoid, 4-6 × 4-5.5 cm, outer surface often wrinkled, inner bottom hairy. Staminode ovate-oblong, 1.5-2 × 0.8-1.2 cm, abaxially ± keeled, base subsessile. Fl. May-Aug. 2n = 20.
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