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Plants with subterranean, moniliformous rhizomes; leaves plicate, absent to partly developed at anthesis, up to 300 x 10 mm; flowering stem c. 250-300 mm tall. Inflorescences rather lax, 3-15-flowered. Flowers: sepals brownish maroon, petªals pale purplish pink, lip white tinged purplish pink, crests yellow (sometimes tinged purple), sac inside yellow with orange and purple spots. Seªpals reflexed; median sepal (11-) 14-16 (-27) mm long, oblong, obtuse to apiculate; lateral sepals similar. Petals slightly spreading, subequal, roªtund, as long as the sepals. Lip 3-lobed, with a shallow, broadly rounded sac, crests consisting of 2 (rarely 3) rhomboid-oblong to cuneate subtrun-cate lamellae near the sac, usually their longest axis oblique to lip surface, rarely also with 2-3 very low ridges near base of midlobe; mentum slightly longer than the gynostemium. Gynoªstemium 9-18 mm long, connate with the subquadrate lip side lobes for most of its length.
Lip 18–35 × 20–40 mm, obscurely 3-lobed, with a callus of 2 parallel ridges 6 mm high at the junction of the lobes; side lobes erect, rounded; mid-lobe 11–12 × 16–22 mm, transversely oblong, emarginate; spur broadly saccate, c. 10 mm long.
Flowers showy, variable in size; sepals green-purple or brownish, petals pale to deep pink; lip pale to deep pink, the throat white or yellowish with purple markings; spur greenish-white.
Perennating organs subterranean, tuberous, 4–6 × 2–3 cm, irregularly shaped, potato-like, forming a long chain; roots 1–2.5 mm in diameter.
Leaves 3–4, 30–70 cm × 4–17 mm, linear, acuminate, plicate, absent or just starting to appear at flowering time.
Inflorescence laxly 2–9-flowered; scape with 3 tubular sheaths in lower half.
Petals 14–25 × 10–25 mm, suborbicular, lying over the column.
Bracts 35–55 mm long, spreading, purplish, linear, acuminate.
Sepals reflexed, 14–30 × 3–12 mm, lanceolate, acuminate.
Column 13–15 mm long, white; foot 1 mm long.
Robust terrestrial herb 30–130 cm tall.
Pedicel and ovary 10–25 mm long.
Capsule pendent, 20–30 mm long.
