Plants 10–100+ cm. Roots several, horizontally spreading, slender, mostly to 0.3 cm diam. Leaves persisting through anthesis, basal, gradually or occasionally abruptly reduced upward on stem, base of blade sheathing stem or narrowed to broad petiole over 7 mm wide, ascending to spreading (rigidly so because of aerenchymatous thickening of blade); blades on proximal cauline sheaths spreading-recurved, frequently also on distal (then extending to inflorescence), elliptic to oblong- or linear-oblanceolate, to 52 × 4 cm. Spikes tightly spiraled, 3–4 flowers per cycle of spiral; rachis moderately pubescent, some trichomes capitate, glands obviously stalked. Flowers nodding, white, urceolate to gaping, claw of lip at low (less than 30°) angle to lamina, base appearing only slightly inflated; sepals distinct to base, 4–18 mm; lateral sepals loosely associated with dorsal and petals or spreading, sometimes arching above flower; petals lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, 4–18 mm, apex acute to obtuse or emarginate; lip often yellow or green centrally, rhombic-ovate to ovate or lance-ovate, 4–16 × (4–)7–9.5 mm, fleshy, margins lacerate-crenulate, glabrous; veins several, branches parallel; basal calli incurved, prominent, sometimes conic in small flowers, 0.2–2.5 mm; viscidia linear to linear-lanceolate; ovary 4–8 mm. Seeds monoembryonic. 2n = 30.
