2n = 48

2n = 47, 48

2n = 48

Tuberous, terrestrial herb growing singly or in loose groups. Leaflinear-Ianceolate, 6-20 cm long, 1-6 mm wide, dark green, green or reddish at the base, hirsute with patent glandular and eglandular trichomes, 0.5-1 mm long. Inflorescence 5-25 cm tall, slender to moderately stout, green or reddish at the base, with patent glandular and eglandular trichomes as on the leaf. Sterile bracts ovate-Ianceolate, 12-16 mm long, 5-7 mm wide, closely sheathing, externally hirsute with short, glandular hairs. Fertile bracts ovate-lanceolate, 9-17 mm long, 5-6 mm wide, closely sheathing, externally hirsute with short, glandular hairs. Flowers 1-2(-3), 2.2-2.8 cm across, white, pale yellow or pink inside, externally white or pale brownish-pink, sparsely glandular, with a sweet odour; dorsal sepal incurved and cucullate over the column and labellum, lateral sepals porrect or deflexed, divergent, petals spreading widely, curving forwards in distal half. Dorsal sepal broadly ovate-elliptical to obovate, 9-15 mm long, 4-6 mm wide, internally glabrous, externally hirsute with sessile and stalked glandular trichomes, apex obtuse. Lateral sepals asymmetrically lanceolate, 10-16 mm long, 4-6 mm wide, slightly falcate, internally glabrous, externally as for the dorsal sepal, apex acute to acuminate. Petals asymmetrically lanceolate, 9-15 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, falcate, internally glabrous, externally sparsely glandular, apex acuminate. Labellum hinged at the base, white, usually with prominent, narrow, red transverse bars, sometimes wholly white, apex white or pale yellow, distinctly trilobate. Lamina broadly oblong-elliptical in outline when flattened, 7-9 mm long, 5-7 mm wide, porrect or slightly erect in proximal quarter, then shallowly curved forwards, apex recurved; lateral lobes c. 2.5 mm wide, erect and column-embracing, anterior margins hardly rounded, slightly irregular, distal margins with several, irregular, short teeth; mid-lobe c. 3.2 mm long, narrowly deltate, margins yellow with 4-7 pairs of sessile, irregular marginal calli near the base (rarely one pair stalked) decrescent to the apex of the mid-lobe. Lamina calli in 2-4 (rarely 6) irregular rows, pale-yellow-headed, extending nearly to the apex of the mid-lobe; calli stalks becoming shorter towards labellum apex, those on the mid-lobe sessile; basal calli 2 or 4, c. 1.2 mm long, head irregularly ovoid, stalk c. 0.4 mm long, much narrower than the head; longest lamina calli c. 1.1 mm long, golf-stick-shaped, stalk c. 0.4 mm long, white. Column 7-8 mmlong, c. 2 mm wide, slightly recurved near the base, curved forwards in distal third, whitish with irregular red, transverse bars, narrowly winged, central ridge c. 0.7 mm wide. Anther c. 1.6 mm long, c. 1.2 mm wide, white to pinkish, densely papillate, with a short rostrum. Pollinia 4, c. 1.3 mm long, roughly boomerang-shaped, cream, flat, mealy. Stigma c. 1 mm wide, irregularly circular, sunken, green. Capsules obovoid, 10-14 mm long, 3-4.5 mm wide, with glandular trichomes.

Plant at fl. c. 5–20 cm. tall. Stem erect, slender, pilose below with long tapering hairs, glandular-pubescent above. Green lf solitary, linear-lanceolate, us. overtopped by fls, sparsely pilose with long tapering hairs. Floral bracts 1–4, lower ones often empty. Fls 1–4 in lax raceme, ovary us. > bract. Per. 1.5–2.5 cm. diam., white to pink, sts obscurely striped, glandular and ± hairy externally. Sepals elliptic-oblong; dorsal wider and ± arched over column; lateral widespreading, subacute. Petals similar to lateral sepals. Labellum 3-lobed; mid-lobe narrowly triangular and recurved; lateral lobes broad, transversely barred with red; calli yellow, in 4 ± regular rows on disc, smaller and crowded on mid-lobe and its margin. Column curved; wings of uniform width from base to anther, transversely barred with red.