Plants generally slender, 10-60 cm tall. Rhizome abbreviated to elongated. Stem usually thin, 3-4-foliate. Leaves arranged in the mid-section of stem, lowest well developed, c. 10(-20) cm long. Inflorescence loosely few to many-flowered, sometimes secund, rachis glabrous or only slightly pubescent, up to 15(-30) cm long. Lowest bract large leaf-like, up to 5 cm long, the upper ± equalling the ovary. Flowers spreading, rather small, green. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, up to 10 mm long; petals slightly shorter, ovate, paler green. Labellum with cup-shaped hypochile and triangular epichile; hypochile outside olive-green, inside deeply brownish-green, shining, with nectar, 3-4 mm long and broad; epichile, 3.5 mm long, with slightly crenulate margins and 2 smooth bosses at base. Column short, 3.5 mm long. Rostellum in opening flowers with whitish viscid-gland, there upon quickly drying and not effective. Ovary shortly pedicelled, minutely pubescent or glabrous; ripe seed-capsule enlarged and ± nodding.

Fl. Per.: End of June to early August. Usually flowering earlier than Epipactis helleborine.

Type: (Iran) Sultanabad, in prov. Hamadan, Strauss (Holo. JE).

Distribution: Anatolia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan. Not known farther eastwards.