Plants 30-60 cm tall or taller. Rhizome creeping, 3-4 mm in diam. Stems borne 1-2 cm apart on rhizome, erect, slender, terete below middle, ± compressed above, unbranched, with many distichous leaves. Leaf blade grasslike, 8-13(-17) × 0.4-0.8 cm, papery, attenuate gradually from base to apex, unequally bilobed, sheathing at base; sheaths tubular, 2-3.5 cm, margin black membranous. Inflorescence terminal, subcapitate, 1-2 cm in diam., densely several to 10-flowered; floral bracts cymbiform, suboblong, 0.5-2 cm. Flowers reddish or white and tinged with purplish red; pedicel very short; ovary 5-6 mm. Dorsal sepal orbicular, ca. 4 mm; lateral sepals broadly ovate-orbicular, ca. 4 × 5 mm, base embracing lip. Petals subrhombic-elliptic, ca. 2.5 × 3 mm, base contracted; lip ± broadly oblong, ca. 3.5 mm, slightly contracted at middle, base shallowly saccate, inside with a callus; callus laterally 2-branched. Column ca. 2 mm. Capsule ellipsoid, ca. 5 × 3.5 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug. 2n = 38, 40.

Epiphytic on trees in dense forests; 900-2400 m. NE and SW Hainan, SE Xizang, S Yunnan [Bhutan, NE India, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam].