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Terrestrial tuberous orchids growing as individuals. Tubers paired, globose. Flowering and non-flowering plants dimorphic. Sterile plants consist solely of basally stalked leafy rosette; leaves several, petiolate. Fertile plants consist of flowering stem with stem leaves and raceme of flowers. Scape wiry. Cauline leaves sessile, sheathing at base, spreading. Pedicels short. Ovaries siliceous. Dorsal sepal and petals adherent to form galea. Dorsal sepal broad, deeply concave. Lateral sepals united to form broad synsepalum, deflexed to form lower lip; anterior surface papillate, sunken area where labellum nestles; free points shortly triangular. Petals short, broad. Labellum deflexed, fully exposed when set, attached by motile claw to apex of column foot. Labellum lamina obscurely 3-lobed, with enlarged basal mound and tail-like basal appendage, strongly siliceous; apex upcurved, notched. Column foot short. Column wings with short thick clubbed barrier trichomes. Anther with four pollinia in two pairs.
Flowering and non-flowering plants similar, growing in vegetative colonies. Flowering plants have basal rosette of leaves, central inflorescence with short bract-like stem leaves and single hooded flower (rarely two). Dorsal sepal overlaps tightly with inner petal margins to form galea and dorsal sepal ends in short tapered point. Front of flower wholly or partially closed by erect fused sepals (the synsepalum) which has short to long tapered free points. The slender labellum, which may or may not be visible in the set position, has curved brush-like basal appendage. Column slender with terminal anther well-separated from stigma and subtended by pair of protruding wings that form tunnel.
