Plants up to 30-50 cm. Roots narrowly cylindric. Stem slightly flexuous, leafy below. Leaves erect-spreading, linear to lanceolate. Inflorescence with flowers on a spirally twisted, densely glandular-pubescent rachis, rarely arranged in a single row with the tendency of twisting, up to 10-15 cm long. Bracts ovate-lanceolate, the lower slightly exceeding the ovary. Flowers rose to rose-purple, rarely whitish, fragrant. Sepals lanceolate, up to 5 mm long, the dorsal forming a tube with the narrower petals and labellum. The latter sessile, obovate in outline, 4-5 mm long, somewhat constricted in the middle, basal section whitish, with 2 small glands on each side near the column, apical section rose-purple, ± pubescent, with the margin undulate-crispate. Column 2 mm long. Ovary sessile, cylindric-fusiform, bent at apex, ± densely glandular-pubescent.

Fl. Per.: May-September.

Type: China: “Hab. in culta prope Cantonem Sinarum”.

Distribution: Widely distributed in the Himalaya region from the foot-hills up to 3700 m; S. E. Asia, E. Rossia, China, Japan, New Guinea, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand.