A terrestrial herb 3–10.5 dm. high, glabrous except for the roots.. Tubers ellipsoid to conical-fusiform or fusiform, 2.5–5.5 cm. long, 8–17 mm. in diameter, glabrous.. Roots slender, flexuous, pubescent.. Sterile stem up to 12 cm. long, 2–5-leaved; lower 1–3 leaves reduced to tight sheaths, the upper 1–2 lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate-elliptical, acute or shortly acuminate, up to 10–47 cm. long and 2–7 cm. broad.. Fertile stem erect, terete, almost entirely covered by adpressed sheaths; sheaths 7–11, lanceolate, acute, the lower ones up to 7–16 cm. long and 1.5–4.5 cm. broad, the upper ones often much smaller, similar to the bracts.. Inflorescence cylindrical, 8–32 cm. long, 2–3 cm. in diameter, densely many-flowered; bracts usually soon becoming reflexed, lanceolate, acute, 1.5–3.5 cm. long.. Flowers curved outwards, orange-yellow to flame-coloured, very rarely white; pedicel with ovary slightly curved, ± 1 cm. long.. Sepals and petals decurved, united in their basal fourth to one another and to the lip.. Intermediate sepal oblong-elliptical, obtuse or rounded, 6–10 mm. long, 1.5–2.5 mm. broad; laterals obliquely elliptical-oblong, subacute to obtuse, a little longer than the intermediate, 2.5–3.5 mm. broad.. Petals similar to intermediate sepal but oblique, 2–3 mm. broad; all tepals 3-veined.. Lip very convex and somewhat hooded, the apex shortly but distinctly reflexed, 6–9 mm. long and ± the same in breadth when spread out, mouth rather wide.. Spurs parallel to the ovary, slender, somewhat tapering, 1–1.5 cm. long, 1–2 mm. in diameter at the base.. Column erect, 5–8 mm. high, the slender stalk longer than the fertile portion; anther-loculi pendent, ellipsoid; stigma erect, flat or with the sides curved forwards, transversely oblong, 1–2 mm. tall, 2–3.5 mm. broad, rostellum porrect, 3-lobed, the side lobes short, tooth-like, the middle lobe much longer, spoon-shaped from a narrower base.
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An orchid. It grows 40-90 cm tall. The tubers are 2-5 cm long and narrowly oval. The sterile shoot has 3-4 leaves with the lowest 2 sheathing the stem. The flowering stem has 10 sheathing leaves up to 16 cm long. The flowering shoot is 7-26 cm long by 3-3.5 cm wide. There are many flowers. They are orange, yellow or red. The flowers curve outwards.
Lip thick-textured, with a wide mouth, 8–14 mm long, 10–12 mm wide when spread out, very convex and hooded with the apex reflexed; spurs 13–17 mm long, slender, parallel to ovary.
Sterile shoot 3–4-leaved, the lowermost 1–2 leaves sheathing, the upper leaves up to 30 × 8 cm, lanceolate or elliptic.
Column 7–11 mm tall; stigma 2–3 × 3 mm; rostellum mid-lobe much longer than side lobes.
Median sepal 7–11 × 2–3 mm, oblanceolate; lateral sepals longer, broader and oblique.
Robust terrestrial herb 40–90 cm high; tubers 1.5–5 cm long, ellipsoid to fusiform.
Sepals and petals decurved, joined to each other and lip in basal quarter.
Flowering stem with c. 10 imbricate, sheathing leaves up to 16 cm long.
Bracts reflexed, 20–30 mm long at base of inflorescence.
Inflorescence 7–26 × 3–3.5 cm, densely many-flowered.
Flowers orange, apricot-yellow or salmon-red.
Ovary and pedicel 10–13 mm long.
Petals similar to median sepal.
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