Plant small, when growing in shade reaching a height of c. 25 cm, generally much less. Tubers on long axes, to 8 cm from parent plant. Inflorescence for the most part less than 3 cm long, flowers few, usually 2—10, often widely spaced. Dorsal sepal c. 2.5 mm long, its margin evenly rounded and lacking recurved tip; laterals deflexed, usually lying parallel to ovary. Labellum also sharply deflexed; tip squarely truncate to slightly emarginate, not apiculate; margins shallowly crenate, sometimes thickened but rarely undulate; anterior callus wartlike, variously developed, often low and broad; two basal calli smoother, squarish, flat rather than convex, together occupying most of the width of the labellum.

Planta parva, 3-15 cm alta, rarissime altitudinem 25 cm attingens. Inflorescentia c. 2-10-flora, plerumque <3 cm longa. Sepalum dorsale subacutum vel obtusum, haud recurvatum; sepala lateralia dependentia, raro circinata. Labellum abrupte deflexum, apice truncatum sine apiculo, marginibus leviter crenatis; callus anterior verrucosus, magnitudine variabilis; calli basales quadrati, complanati, labelli totam latitudinem fere occupantes.

Plant to c. 15 cm tall, often less. Stem slender, smooth, usually green but sometimes reddish, internodes rarely longer than leaves. Petiolate leaves in separate rosettes or more or less spaced on lower part of flowering stem; lamina c. 5-15 mm long, orbicular-cordate to broadovate to trulliform, surface not usually rugose with raised veins; petiole well defined in rosette, merging gradually into lamina in lower stemleaves. Upper or all cauline leaves sessile; lamina c. 5—25 × 3—6 mm, linear- to narrow-lanceolate to narrow-elliptic, the uppermost usually slightly overtopping the ovary. Flower usually solitary, erect. Dorsal sepal c. 1.5-2.5 cm tall, the tip acuminate and usually more or less horizontal; lateral sepals diverging at such an angle as to form a wide V shape from front view, this region in side view smoothly rounded and not jutting sharply forward, the tips long-caudate-filiform and much overtopping galea. Petals almost as long as dorsal sepal, the exposed marginal strip of medium width, often nearly horizontal. Labellum arcuate, narrowing gradually and concave from base to about midlength, then contracting in width more abruptly and the margins recurving so that the distal third is linear in outline and deeply channelled beneath, the narrow apex truncate. Column shorter than labellum; stigma elliptic, slightly prominent.

Caulis gracilis laevis plerumque viridis. Folia rosulata longe petiolata late ovato-cordata. Folia caulina plerumque linearia vel lineari-elliptica sessilia, inferiora interdum rosulatis similia plus minusve petiolata nonnulla interdum trulliformia, supremum ovarium plerumque superans. Flos solitarius. Perianthium basi erectum dein plus minusve horizontale, galeae altitudino interdum 2 cm excedens. Sepala lateralia apice longe filiformia connata in labium inferius erectum sinu acuto curvatum neque abrupte prominens. Petala sepalum dorsale plus minusve aequantes apicem versus mediocriter explanata. Labellum ad medium usque latius dein angustius fere lineare apice truncatum marginibus revolutis, columnam excedens. Stigma ellipticum prominulum.

Plant to c. 20 cm tall. Stem slender, smooth, often reddish, internodes usually rather shorter than leaves. Petiolate leaves commonly but not invariably absent from flowering stem, forming separate rosettes; lamina c. 5-12 × 5-12 mm, ovate-orbicular, surface not strongly marked by veins; petiole well defined, sometimes longer than lamina. Cauline leaves several, for the most part sessile, the lowest one or two occasionally more or less like the rosette leaves; lamina c. 1.5-4 cm × 2-7 mm, linear-lanceolate to narrow-elliptic, the uppermost usually overtopping the ovary but rarely reaching the height of the galea. Flower usually solitary, erect. Dorsal sepal c. 1.5—2—(3) cm tall, the tip acuminate and usually more or less down-curved; lateral sepals diverging at a wide angle forming an open U or broad W shape from front view, this region abruptly prominent in side view, tips longcaudate- filiform and much overtopping galea. Petals almost as long as dorsal sepal, a broad, more or less horizontal marginal strip exposed making the width of the whole galea at the top 7-10 mm. Labellum narrow-triangular, arcuate, apex subacute. Column shorter than labellum; stigma elliptic, slightly prominent.

Caulis gracilis laevis saepe rubellus. Folia rosulata longe petiolata late ovatocordata. Folia caulina plerumque lineari-elliptica sessilia, inferiora interdum rosulatis similia plus minusve petiolata, supremum ovarium superans. Flos solitarius. Perianthium basi erectum dein plus minusve horizontale, galeae altitudino interdum 2 cm excedens. Sepala lateralia apice longe filiformia connata in labium inferius erectum late emarginatum abrupte prominens. Petala sepalum dorsale plus minusve aequantes apicem versus late explanata. Labellum lineari-triangulatum subacutum, columnam excedens. Stigma ellipticum prominulum.

Plant at flower c. 15-40 cm tall. Leaf 10-20 mm wide, shallowly channelled, thick. Inflorescence few-flowered. Perianth c. 15 mm long, pinkish to very pale lavender or blue with strong blue stripes, especially on petals. Sepals and petals subsimilar, broad, slightly obovate. Labellum more oblong-obovate. Column-arms thickened about the nerve, flanged towards the base with delicate pinkish lobes, teeth or fimbriae that sometimes extend down the front margin of the column-wing; the arms bent inwards so that the two globose bunches of crowded cilia meet just above the anther-tip; cilia at first pale yellow, turning brown with age, in old flowers standing more erect; post-anther lobe taller than anther and more or less hooded over it, usually dark red and more or less tuberculate towards the yellowish margin.

Folium lineare, plus minusve canaliculatum, crassum. Inflorescentia paucifiora. Perianthium purpurascens, lineis saturioribus striatum. Sepala petalaque lata. labellum oblongum vel obovatum. Columnae brachia basin versus applanata et plus minusve canaliculata, margine lobis, dentibus vel fimbriis instructa, apicem versus ciliis numerosissimis lutescentibus demum ferrugineis ornata; lobus posr antheram ascendens, plus minusve cuculiatus, antheram obtegens, rubescens, marginem versus subtuberculatus, luteus.

Plant at flower to c. 40-50 cm tall. Leaf c. 5-15 mm wide, channelled and more or less keeled, forming rather well-defined V in T.S. Flowers few, usually 1-6. Perianth c. 15 mm long, colour between pink and blue, without stripes or spots. Sepals, petals and labellum subsimilar, elliptic, sepals more acute. Column-arm terete or plano-convex in T.S. with abundant cilia from sides, back and top; cilia usually very pale yellow, mostly standing erect and above post-anther lobe; post-anther lobe tall, overtopping anther at least at sides, erect, squarely to obliquely truncate, sometimes forming a deep cleft at back, usually dark red towards top, margin usually yellowish, more or less denticulate but not thickened or involute, often ending in front in two small, more or less inturned horns.

Folium lineare, canaliculatum. plus minusve carinatum. Inflorescentia pauciflora. Perianthium purpurascens, nee striatum nee maculatum. Sepala, petala labelleumque elliptica, acuta. Columnae brachia teretia, ciliis numerosis sulphureis vel eremeis ornata; lobus post antheram ascendens erectus, antheram superans, recte vel oblique truncatus, laevis, rubescens, margine luteo plus minusve denticulato non involute.