Plants up to 90 cm, sometimes in large clusters. Stem glabrous. Leaves membraneous, flat, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, up to 15 cm long. Inflorescence loose, usually elongated up to 30 cm; rachis minutely pubescent. Lower bracts exceeding flowers. Flowers distant, spreading to pendent. Sepals green, veined with purple on outside, darker brownish-purple on the inside, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, up to 20 mm long. Petals slightly shorter, broadly ovate. Labellum up to 23 mm long, tinged with brownish-purple, with large hypochile and narrowly ovate epichile. Column including anther up to 9 mm long. Ovary sparsely pubescent, after flowering enlarged.

Fl. Per.: July.

Type: N. W. America. “In the sub-alpine regions of Blue and Rocky mountains,” Douglas.

Distribution: Himalaya Mts., eastwards to Nepal, Sikkim Bhutan; also in China and N. and Central America.

Commonly found in marshy places, near springs and rivers.