Plants 10--20 cm tall. Bladeless leaves 2 or 3. Normal leaves 2 or 3; ligule ca. 0.5 mm; leaf blade oblong-lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 3--12 × 1.2--2 cm, glabrous, base subrounded, apex acuminate. Inflorescence with peduncle enclosed by leaf sheaths; bracts 3--10 mm. Flowers purple or lilac, opening one at a time. Calyx 4--5 cm, apex 2-toothed. Corolla tube exserted from calyx, long, slender; central lobe erect, orbicular, ca. 1.5 cm in diam., apex apiculate; lateral lobes reflexed, linear-oblong. Lateral staminodes erect, similar to corolla lobes but shorter. Labellum not reflexed, cuneate-obovate, ca. 1.5 cm, apex 2-lobed. Anther white to cream, locules 5--6 mm; connective spur 1.5--2 mm. Capsule 2.5--3.5 cm. Seeds subcubic, slightly constricted near middle. Fl. May--Aug.