2n = 38

2n = 40

2n = 40

2n = 40

2n = 40

Plant to 150 cm. long, often much less. Stems cane-like, tending to be locally thickened towards base and there to 7 mm. diam. in large plants; lateral branches ∞, coming off at wide angle, ± drooping; bare parts mostly c. 2 mm. diam., bright yellow and polished. Lf-sheaths tubular, minutely papillose, overlapping, covering all younger stems; lamina c. 3–5 cm. × 3 mm., narrow-linear, dark at joint with sheath. Rhizome stem-like, giving off ± branched roots. Infls 1-6-fld, produced a few nodes back from lfy tip, as short, slender laterals; floral bracts tubular, short, inconspicuous; pedicel very slender, longer than ovary. Per. c. 2–2.5 cm. diam., glab., white, lip and column us. partly rose-pink to purplish or green. Sepals elliptic, spreading, tips ± reflexed; laterals connate under labellum and adnate to column-base, giving characteristic shape to bud. Petals slightly broader. Labellum shorter, distinctly 3-lobed; lateral lobes small, often coloured, inclined to stand parallel to one another; mid-lobe white, broad, subacute, minutely crenulate; disc with 4–5 pale-coloured, low, longitudinal ridges terminating just above short claw and near to a coloured knob (nectary) at end of column-foot. Column about as long as its foot, cylindric, very narrowly winged.