Plants 8–55 cm. Roots few–several, spreading to descending, tuberous, mostly to 1 cm diam. Leaves persisting through anthesis or fugaceous, basal, often on proximal portion of stem, ascending to spreading, linear to linear-lanceolate, elliptic, or oblanceolate, to 26 × 3 cm. Spikes usually very tightly spiraled, 3 flowers per cycle of spiral, rarely loosely spiraled or with more than 5 flowers per cycle; rachis glabrous to very sparsely pubescent, capitate glands short-stalked or often sessile (longest trichomes 0.03–0.18 mm). Flowers ascending, white to ivory, rarely yellowish white, tubular; sepals and petals connivent, forming hood above abruptly reflexed lip; sepals connate at base, 5.3–12.5 mm; petals linear to ovate, apex obtuse to subacute; lip pandurate, 4.8–10.2 × 1.6–6.8 mm, base broadly expanded, apex broadly dilated, separated by narrow isthmus, apical dilation variable, rarely lip nearly ovate, glabrous or with a few scattered trichomes on adaxial surface; veins typically 3, branches wide-spreading; viscidia linear-lanceolate; ovary 2–7 mm. Seeds monoembryonic. 2n = 44, 66, 88.
