Plants 0.8--1.6 m tall. Rhizomes yellowish inside, whitish outside, ovoid, robust, fleshy; roots fusiform tuberous at tip. Petiole ca. 30 cm; leaf blade oblong or ovate-oblong, 35--75 × 14--22 cm, glabrous, base subrounded or broadly cuneate, apex acute or shortly caudate. Inflorescences on separate shoots arising from rhizomes; peduncle 15--20 cm; spike 20--30 cm; coma bracts tinged with red, oblong, 5--8 cm, apex acute; fertile bracts green, ovate, 3--5 cm. Calyx white, 1--1.2 cm. Corolla white; tube ca. 2.8 cm, white villous at throat; lobes ca. 1.5 × 1.2 cm. Lateral staminodes yellow, petaloid, oblong, ca. 1.7 cm. Labellum reflexed, yellow with deeply colored center, obovate, ca. 2.2 cm, apex emarginate. Filament very short; anther with 2 spurs at base. Ovary densely hirsute. Fl. May--Jun. 2 n = 63*.

Cultivated for medicine.

* Guangdong, Guangxi, Zhejiang.