A terrestrial herb 2–5 dm. high, glabrous except for the roots.. Tubers ellipsoid, ± 2 cm. long and 1.5 cm. in diameter, sparsely pubescent or tomentose.. Roots flexuous, slender, sparsely pubescent.. Fertile stem slender, somewhat flexuous, with several distant lanceolate acuminate sheaths.. Leaves in a tuft on the sterile stem, 5–7, suberect, rather flexuous, narrowly linear, stiff, 17–24 cm. long, 1–3 mm. broad, with several very prominent veins and thickened margins; the vascular bundles of the old leaves remain as fibres.. Inflorescence up to 6 cm. long, rather closely 1–9-flowered; bracts narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, 14–18 mm. long, longer than or equalling the pedicel with ovary.. Flowers suberect, pink, madder-red or crimson, sometimes with a dark red spot at the base of the lip; pedicel with ovary almost straight, 11–14 mm. long.. Dorsal sepal erect, hemispherical and very convex, almost orbicular from the front, without any distinct dorsal spur, 8–14 mm. long, 10–16 mm. broad, shortly apiculate; laterals spreading downwards, narrowly elliptical-oblong, obtuse, ± 1 cm. long and 5 mm. broad.. Petals erect, inside the hood of the dorsal sepal, broadened and cordate at the base on the front margin, the upper part much curved forward and acute, somewhat widened above, ± 7 mm. long and 2 mm. broad.. Lip projecting forwards, cuneate and entire at the base, ± obscurely 3-lobed below the middle, the margins of the lobes divided into numerous slender threads, altogether 2–2.5 cm. long and up to 12 mm. broad.. Column very short; anther horizontal, ± 7.5 mm. long, viscidia of the pollinia 2, distinct; stigma in front of the anther, cushion-like, ± 2.5 mm. in diameter, rostellum 3-lobed, all the lobes linear, erect.
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