Upright glabrous perennial to 2 m. tall, with a large swollen tuberous rootstock at or just below the soil surface.. Leaves spirally arranged; petiole (0.5–)1–6(–9) cm. long, rather slender, sometimes with a few short-stipitate or almost sessile glands in the upper half and close to the lamina; lamina oblong or oblong-lanceolate to broadly ovate, 7.5–23 cm. long, 2.6–9.8 cm. broad, the apex subobtuse to acute, often shortly acuminate, the base shortly attenuate or cuneate; lateral veins (7–)8–12(–14) pairs; margin coarsely or finely crenate or ± serrate.. Inflorescence a 3–7(–9)-flowered raceme, rarely subumbellate; flowers white, the lower lateral petals often veined or spotted pink or purple towards the base.. Peduncle 8.5–30 cm. long, upright.. Bracts oblong to ovate, 6–11 mm. long, the apex obtuse or shortly acuminate.. Pedicels 15–36(–40) mm. long, rather slender, Lateral sepals 4, ovate or oblong, 6–10 mm. long, 4–7 mm. broad, shortly acuminate.. Lower sepal shallowly and obliquely navicular or funnel-shaped, 12–25 mm. long at the mouth, 2–18 mm. deep, abruptly or ± gradually constricted into a 3–13 cm. long curved filiform spur, slightly swollen at the tip.. Dorsal petal 17–22 mm. long, 10–14 mm. broad, cucullate, shallowly crested dorsally, the crest terminating in a short acute point.. Lateral united petals 20–55 mm. long; upper petal very reduced, suborbicular or oblong-elliptic, 6–15 mm. long, 2–5 mm. broad; lower petal orbicular or transversely oblong, 18–50 mm. long, 16–46 mm. broad, ± with an emargination along the inner margin towards the top.. Ovary glabrous.. Fruit obcylindric, shortly beaked, 32–40 mm. long.. Seeds ovoidal, glabrous, the surface of the testa consisting of an even covering of tiny cells.
Damp, generally shaded places; rain-forest, forest fringes, shrub-filled gullies, stream margins, shady banks; hill slopes, swampy or marshy sites; grassy scrub; at elevations from 750-3,630 metres.
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