Perennial herb from a short thick rhizome.. Roots with tuberous swellings towards the apex, to 2.5 × 0.8 cm.. Leaves fully developed or developing at the time of flowering; lamina glabrous, ovate to elliptic, acuminate, 17-31 × 5.5-10 cm., gradually tapering at the base into a false petiole up to 25 cm. long (including the leaf-sheath); ligule obsolete; sheaths sulcate when dry; pseudostem very short or absent.. Inflorescences arising at the base of the leafy shoot, 7-15(-20)-flowered; peduncle 20-35 cm. long, terete, glabrous; bracts 3-4, greenish, oblong, rounded, emarginate, up to 6 × 1.5 cm., floral bracts greenish, oblong to narrowly obovate, obtuse, the lower up to 6.5 × 2 cm., the upper very much smaller, to 2.2 × 1.2 cm.. Calyx campanulate, 8-15 mm. long, not markedly accrescent in fruit, shallowly 3-lobed, each lobe with a subterminal subulate projection ± 1 mm. long.. Corolla-tube ± 8 mm. long; petals narrowly obovate to narrowly oblong, acute, 2.2-2.6 cm. long, whitish, tinged with green or mauve.. Labellum 3-lobed, the lateral lobes rhomboid, mauve, ± 3 × 2 cm., the median broadly spathulate, emarginate, ± 4.5 × 4.5 cm., mauve with a central yellow mark with or without a dark purple mark on each side.. Ovary ± 6 mm. long, trigonous.. Fruit obovoid, trigonous, winged at the angles, up to at least 2.5 cm. long but fully mature fruit and mature seeds not seen.. Figs. 3/5, 6 and 4.
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