Pseudostems 1--1.5 m. Leaf sheath tomentose; ligule orbicular, 2-cleft, ca. 1 cm, tomentose, margin ciliate; petiole 0.5--2 cm, tomentose; leaf blade oblong-lanceolate, 20--40 × 4--7 cm, leathery, glabrous except tomentose at margin and apex, or abaxially tomentose especially on median veins, base attenuate, apex acuminate, with caudate tip ca. 2.5 cm. Spikes erect, subsessile, cylindric, 10--16 cm; involucral bract linear, 8--9 cm × 8--10 mm; bracts ovate or lanceolate, 1.5--2.5 cm, densely imbricate, tomentose, 3-flowered, persistent; bracteoles lanceolate, 5--10 mm, tomentose, persistent. Flowers fragrant, tomentose. Calyx tubular, 1--1.5 cm, apex 3-toothed. Corolla tube ca. 1.2 cm; lobes oblong, ca. 6 mm, concave. Lateral staminodes linear, ca. 2 mm. Labellum striped at center, rhomboidal-ovate, obscurely 3-lobed, ca. 7 × 3 mm, margin undulate, apex 2-cleft. Filament ca. 5 mm; anther ca. 4 mm. Ovary densely hirsute. Capsule globose, ca. 1 cm in diam., apex with persistent calyx. Fl. and fr. Jun--Aug. 2 n = 48*.

* Forests, roadsides; 600--700 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Jiangxi, Yunnan.