Stem climbing, 6-20 m, ca. 1 cm in diam., swollen noded, with internodes 6-10 cm. Leaf blade elliptic, 18-23 × 5-10 cm; petiole 1-1.5 cm, base amplexicaul. Inflorescence 10-20 cm; floral bracts broadly elliptic or elliptic, concave, 7-12 mm, thickened, obtuse at apex. Flowers white, tinged with greenish. Sepals and petals lanceolate, 14-20 × 4-6 mm; lip 2-2.5 × ca. 1.5 cm, basally connate for ca. 3/4 length to both sides of column forming a tube, apex inconspicuously 3-lobed; lateral lobes broad, margins incised; mid-lobe with dense, fimbriate hairs near apex; disk with scaly appendages. Column ca. 2 cm. Fl. Apr-May.

Of the Chinese specimens referred to this species, only the one from Hong Kong has flowered, confirming its identity. The other specimens are sterile but are very similar in habit to Vanilla annamica.

Cliffs, forests; 1200-1300 m. Fujian, SW Guizhou, Hong Kong, SE Yunnan [Thailand, Vietnam].