A terrestrial or rarely epiphytic herb 1.5–8 dm. high, glabrous except for the roots.. Tubers nil.. Roots numerous, slender, pubescent.. Stem erect, slender to robust, up to 1.5 cm. in diameter at the base, leafy throughout its length.. Leaves 11–15, the lowermost 1 or 2 short, reduced to sheaths, the intermediate ones either forming a tuft at the base or spread out along the lower half of the stem, suberect, spreading or ± recurved, ligulate, ligulate-lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, acute, the largest 45 cm. long, 1–4 cm. broad, often with reddish-brown tips, the 3–5 uppermost much smaller, adpressed to the stem, similar to the bracts.. Inflorescence cylindrical, 6–32 cm. long, 3–5.5 cm. in diameter, rather laxly to very densely 10-to many-flowered.. Bracts leafy, lanceolate, acuminate, purplish, 2–6 cm. long, the lower ones, and sometimes all of them, overtopping the flowers.. Flowers suberect, pink to wine-red or purple; pedicel with ovary straight, 1.5-2.5 cm. long.. Dorsal sepal erect, very convex and hooded, almost orbicular, spurred below the middle, 8–12 mm. long, 11–15 mm. broad when spread out, the spur curved down or pendulous from a horizontal basal part, narrowly cylindrical, 1.5–2 cm. long; laterals spreading, obliquely elliptical, obtuse, ± the same length as the dorsal, 5–7.5 mm. broad.. Petals erect, inside the hood of the dorsal sepal, curved, elliptical, oblong or lanceolate-oblong, obtuse or subacute, 5–7.5 mm. long, 2–3 mm. broad.. Lip pendulous, ligulate or subspathulate-ligulate, rounded at apex, 8–10 mm. long, 2–3 mm. broad.. Anther nearly horizontal, shortly stalked, the loculi 2.5 mm. long.. Stigma in front of anther, orbicular, ± 2 mm. in diameter.
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