Plants 13--25 cm tall. Leaves 4--6, appearing after anthesis; ligule ca. 2 mm; leaf blade broadly lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 10--30 × 3--6 cm, glabrous, apex acute. Inflorescence with peduncle enclosed by leaf sheaths; bracts lanceolate, usually much shorter than calyx. Flowers 1 to many opening together, violet, purple, pink, white, or yellow. Calyx narrowly tubular, 10--14 cm, apex oblique, 2-lobed. Corolla tube slightly longer than calyx; central lobe broadly ovate, 3--4 × 2.5--3 cm, base erect, narrow, cucullate, apex rounded, apiculate; lateral lobes oblanceolate, 3--3.5 × ca. 1.5 cm. Lateral staminodes white tinged with purple, oblanceolate, 1.5--1.7 cm. Labellum reflexed, obovate, usually smaller than central lobe of corolla, 2--2.5 × ca. 3 cm, apically 2-cleft to near base, margin cristate; claw hard. Filament ca. 5 mm; anther white, ca. 1.2 cm; connective spur yellowish green, 6--8 mm. Style ca. 10 cm; stigma turbinate, pilose. Ovary cylindric, ca. 1 cm. Capsule oblong, ca. 2.5 cm × 5 mm. Fl. Apr--Jul. 2 n = 24*.