A terrestrial herb 3–12 dm. high, glabrous except for the roots.. Rootstock short and thick.. Roots numerous, in a dense tuft, slender, pubescent.. Stem erect, slender to robust, up to 1.5 cm. in diameter at the base, terete, leafy along its entire length.. Leaves 8–13; lower ones spreading or somewhat erect, in a tuft, broadly lanceolate to ligulate or narrowly ligulate, up to 8–48 cm. long and 2–5(–7.5) cm. broad, the upper 3–5 smaller, sheath-like, adpressed to the stem, lanceolate, acute.. Inflorescence cylindrical, 5–37 cm. long, 2–3.5 cm. in diameter, densely many-flowered; bracts usually refiexed, lanceolate, acute, l–2.5(–4) cm. long, the lower ones often longer than the flowers.. Flowers spreading or curved outwards, pink to mauve or rarely white; pedicel with ovary curved, ± 1 cm. long.. Sepals and petals projecting forwards or somewhat decurved, united to one another and to the lip in their basal third.. Intermediate sepal narrowly oblanceolate-elliptical, obtuse, 4.5–8 mm. long, 1.5–2.5 mm. broad; laterals obliquely oblong-elliptical, very obtuse, equalling the intermediate but a little broader.. Petals similar to the intermediate sepal, 4–7 mm. long, ± 1.5 mm. broad; all tepals 2–3-veined.. Lip very convex and hooded with a shortly pointed apex and a rather broad mouth, 5–7.5 mm. long and rather broader when spread out, 2-spurred at base.. Spurs slender, parallel to the ovary, 8–13 mm. long, 1–1.5 mm. in diameter at the base.. Column enclosed in the lip, 3–5 mm. high, the slightly curved stalk equalling the fertile part; anther-loculi pendent, ellipsoid; stigma erect, semi-orbicular, ± 1 mm. high and 1.5–2 mm. broad, rostellum projecting forwards, 3-lobed, the side lobes short, tooth-like, incurved, the middle lobe much larger, spoon-shaped from a narrow base.. Fig. 34, p. 194.
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An orchid. It is a stout herb 1 m tall. The stem has 8-13 leaves along it. The largest near the stem base is 40 cm long by 6 cm wide. The flowering shoot is 30 cm long by 3.5 cm wide. There are many flowers. The flowers are pale pink.
Leaves imbricate, 8–13 scattered along stem with the largest near the stem base, to 40 × 6 cm, lanceolate, semi-spreading, heavily veined; the upper leaves gradually decreasing in size becoming erect and sheath-like.
Lip 5–6.5 mm long, 7–7.5 mm wide when spread out, very convex and hooded with a wide mouth; spurs 8–12 mm long, slender, parallel to ovary.
Column 3–5 mm high; stigma c. 1 × 1.5–2 mm; rostellum mid-lobe spoon-shaped from a narrow base, much longer than side lobes.
Median sepal 5.5–7 × 1.5–2.5 mm, oblanceolate or elliptical; lateral sepals similar but oblique and c. 3 mm wide.
Sepals and petals projecting forwards and slightly decurved, joined to each other and lip in basal third.
Robust terrestrial herb to 1 m tall; rootstock short and stout, roots numerous.
Bracts c. 25 mm long at base of inflorescence, reflexed, slightly pubescent.
Inflorescence c. 30 × 3.5 cm, cylindrical, densely many-flowered.
A terrestrial moderately stout to stout herb up to 31/2 ft. high
Ovary and pedicel c. 10 mm long, curved.
Petals similar to median sepal.
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