Glabrous terrestrial herb 50–80 cm high. Pseudobulbs 2–4 × 1.5–2.5 cm, conical to ovoid, 5-angled, usually 2-leaved.Leaves 12–21 × 1–1.5 cm, linear to narrowly lanceolate, tapering to a petiolate base 3–10 cm long, coriaceous, grey-green with blue-grey or whitish-grey blotches. Inflorescence simple, 22–60 cm tall, laxly 9–20-flowered, the scape with c. 12 linear bracts 1–2 cm long. Pedicel and ovary 12–25 mm long, slender; bracts 5–15 mm long, linear. Sepals and petals dark olive-green or yellow-green, veined with purple; lip yellow, cream or pale green with purple or red nerves and a central yellow patch; crests lilac; spur orange or green. Sepals 12–20 × 2.5–4 mm, spathulate, apiculate. Petals 7–10 × 4–7 mm, oblong-elliptic or ovate-elliptic, apiculate, narrowed at base. Lip 12–16 mm long, 12–18 mm wide, appearing 4-lobed (3-lobed with the mid-lobe 2-lobed); each lobe of mid-lobe suborbicular or broadly oblong; side lobes erect, subquadrate; base of lip with a callus formed of 2 raised, oblong lobes which extend to the apical sinus as 2 low, minutely papillose keels, often with a third median keel; spur 3–6 mm long, stout, decurved, cylindrical but often slightly swollen in the middle, the apex blunt. Column erect, 4–5 mm long with a short foot c. 2 mm long.
A terrestrial herb 50–60(–80) cm high, entirely glabrous. Pseudobulbs ovoid, 5-angled, 4 cm long, 2.3 cm broad, (1–)2(–3)-leaved. Leaves linear-ligulate to lanceolate, acute, abbreviated towards the base, sessile, rigid, median nerve prominent on lower surface, (12–)15–23 cm long, 1–1.2(–1.9) cm broad, spreading, persisting for 2 or 3 seasons, greyish green, mottled bluish grey and whitish grey, sometimes suffused brown. Inflorescence simple, erect, 22–35(–60) cm long, 3.5 cm. broad, laxly 12–20-flowered; bracts linear to linear-lanceolate, acute, 3-nerved, shorter than ovary, 6–15 mm long. Flowers porrect; sepals and petals olive-green, with red or brownish purple nerves and markings; lip either bright yellow with red nerves or with the proximal lobes green with purple nerves and the distal lobes cream or pale green with purple nerves and a central yellow patch, calli lilac, spur green or orange; column yellowish green; pedicel and ovary slender, 12–25 mm long. Dorsal sepal erect, oblanceolate to spathulate, apiculate, 3-nerved, 12–20 mm long, 3–4 mm broad; lateral sepals spathulate, apiculate, often somewhat falcate, deflexed, 14–20 mm long, 2.7–4 mm. broad. Petals oblong-elliptic or obliquely ovate-elliptic, apiculate, 3-nerved, 7–10 mm long, 4–7 mm broad. Lip projecting forwards, articulated at the base, distinctly 3-lobed, rarely obscurely 4-lobed, 12–16 mm long, 13–18 mm broad; mid-lobe divided into 2 lobules, each broadly oblong or ± orbicular, somewhat deflexed, divaricate, margins sometimes gently undulate, nerves many, inconspicuous, vinous, longer than the side lobes; side lobes subquadrate or rounded, somewhat saccate at the base, erect, nerves 3–5, prominent, vinous; callus at the base of the lip, formed of 2 raised, horizontal, oblong, glabrous lobes which gradually extend towards the apical sinus as 2 minutely papillose, low, parallel keels, between which may be a third median keel; spur stout, cylindrical, often slightly dilated at the middle, weakly carinate, decurved, 4–6 mm long. Column erect, ovoid-oblong, 4–5 mm long, 3 mm broad, with a short foot ± 2 mm long; anther ± ovate, emarginate at apex, 2 mm long and broad.
Riverine forest in rocky areas, under bushes on rock outcrops, also in coastal forest
Rocky outcrop, in leaf-mould under bushes; 960 m.
Orchidaceae, V. S. Summerhayes. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1968
Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592
Orchidaceae, I. la Croix & P.J. Cribb. Flora Zambesiaca 11:2. 1998
Endémique. Sud-ouest: serres du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle de Paris, de plants envoyés par Decary, sans indication de localité, mais provenant du Sud-Ouest; Beloha, Decary; Ambovombe, Decary 2658, 8581, 8439 et 8604; env. d'Isomono, Humbert 13041; col d’Ambato, bassin du Mandrare. Humbert 13041.
Terrestre, d'environ 60 cm. de haut, à pseudobulbes pentagons, épais (4 x 2-3 cm.), monophylles ou diphylles. Feuille sessile, étalée, largement linéaire (15-23 x 1-1,2 cm.), courtement atténuée aux 2 bouts, aiguë, rigide, à nervure médiane saillante en dessous; articulation assez visible; limbe sur le vif maculé de vert blanchâtre et de vert sombre. Hampe dressée; pédoncule aussi long que la grappe, portant 3 gaines scarieuses rougeâtres, peu aiguës et plurinerves; grappe simple, lâche, de 12-18 fleurs; bractées lancéolées, étalées-ascendantes, trinerves, les inférieures de 7 mm. de long, les supérieures de 3 mm.; fleurs médiocres, d'un jaune verdâtre, les pétales et le labelle à nervures d'un brun rougeâtre. Sépale médian oblancéolé de 2 cm. environ; les latéraux de même longueur, mais courbés en faux. Pétales oblongs (11 X 5 mm.), un peu atténués du sommet très obtus vers la base, trinerves, les nervures latérales tres visibles ainsi que leurs ramifications externes. Labelle à base étroite, largement obovale, 4-lobé, d'environ 1 cm. 6 de long et de large; lobes inférieurs subcarrés, longs et larges de 5 mm., à 5 nervures très visibles; lobes antérieurs orbiculaires (8 mm. diam.), à nervures disposées en éventail mais peu distinctes, palais muni à la base de 2 callus et vers le milieu de 3 carènes papilleuses un peu divergentes; éperon court (4 mm.), obtus, cylindrique, porrigé en avant. Colonne haute de 5 mm., finement carénée sur la face dorsale, largement canaliculée sur la face antérieure et prolongée à la base par un pied court; clinandre petit, à bord postérieur dilaté en petit lobule portant l’anthère; rostelle échancré assez profondément au milieu, les auricules peu saillantes. Anthère de 2 mm. de large, épaissie et carénulée en arrière, munie au sommet de 2 gibbosités effacées, sans rebord antérieur; pollinies largement ovales; rétinacle épais, un peu plus large en avant, prolongé comme d'ordinaire sur les côtés de la fosse stigmatique. Ovaire (et pédicelle) glabre, d'environ 2 cm. de long.
