A terrestrial herb 1–3.5 dm. high, glabrous except for the roots.. Tubers ellipsoid, ±1.5 cm. long and 1 cm. in diameter, densely tomentose.. Fertile stem slender, ± flexuous, with 5–8 sheaths which are overlapping below and distant above.. Leaves in a bunch on the sterile stem, often surrounded by the dead bases of older leaves, 3–4, ± erect, narrowly linear, 17–20 cm. long, ± 1 mm. broad, very stiff.. Inflorescence 2–9 cm. long, loosely to rather densely 2–10-flowered.. Bracts chaffy, lanceolate, acuminate, 5–18 mm. long, shorter than the flowers.. Flowers suberect, purplish; pedicel with ovary straight, ± 1 cm. long.. Dorsal sepal erect, very convex, ovate from the front, spurred in the lower half, 10–17 mm. long, 8–13 mm. broad when spread out, from base to apex of spur 7.5–10 mm. long, the spur 3–5 mm. long, 1–2 mm. in diameter; laterals spreading downwards, narrowly oblong-elliptical, apiculate or subacute, 10–15 mm. long, 3–6.5 mm. broad.. Petals erect, much curved forward above, with a rounded auricle at the base in front, the apical part widened and shortly 2-lobed, the lobes acute, altogether 6–9 mm. long and 1.5–3 mm. broad.. Lip projecting forwards, ovate or elliptical in general outline, with a narrow central undivided portion, the remainder on each side divided into numerous slender, sometimes branched, threads, 11–13 mm. long and 7–12 mm. broad across the longest threads.. Column short and broad; anther horizontal, ± 2 mm. long; stigma in front of the anther, ± orbicular, 1.5 mm. in diameter.
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