Plants mostly 120-220 mm high. Corm 8-14 mm diam., tunics of pale, fine fibres, often matted together. Stem usually unbranched or with 1(2) branches from base, occasionally also from middle of stem, without cormlets in lower axils. Leaves 5 to 8, obtuse to acute or obliquely apiculate, usually reaching to ± base of spike or sometimes shortly exceeding it, (3-)5-10 mm wide, with prominent main vein, sometimes with thickened margins. Spike 3-to 5-flowered, branches with fewer flowers, weakly flexuose, suberect; bracts dry, wrinkled, pale with dark brown streaks below, rust-brown above, outer 12-14 mm long, irregularly lacerate with 3 prominent cusps, inner 10-12 mm long, 2-cusped. Flowers zygomorphic, upper tepals creamy white, upper lateral and lower tepals yellow with dark mark at limb base, lightly lemon-scented; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, curving outward above, 13-15 mm long; tepals unequal, dorsal largest, erect, 20-22 x 8-10 mm, widest in midline, upper laterals spreading at right angles to tube, 14-16 x ± 6 mm long, lower tepals united in lower 2-3 mm, narrowed at base of free part into claws ± 3 mm long, expanding abruptly into oblong limbs ± 10 mm x ± 5 mm, channelled in lower half, spreading horizontally. Stamens unilateral; filaments arched, ± 8 mm long, white; anthers ± 4 mm long; pollen creamy yellow. Style arching above filaments, white, dividing opposite anther tips, branches diverging to weakly recurved, ± 3 mm long, expanded apically and ciliate on margins, convolute below apex. Capsules barrel-shaped, (7-)9-11 mm long. Seeds 4 to 6 per locule, globose, yellowish brown, 2.2-2.5 mm diam.
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