Apostasia platystylis J. J. Smith; A. selebica J. J. Smith; A. thorelii Gagnepain.

Plants 15-40(-50) cm tall. Rhizome elongate; roots proplike, 1-3 mm in diam. Stem erect or prostrate toward base, usually not branched, with several tubular sheaths toward base. Leaves many; blade lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 6-18 × 0.7-1.9 cm, apex with an awn 3-11 mm; petiole-like base 1-2 cm. Inflorescence terminal, often nodding, conic, with 1-3 lateral branches, usually more than 10-flowered; floral bracts ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 4-9 mm. Flowers ca. 1 cm in diam.; ovary and pedicel 15-22 mm. Sepals pale yellow, narrowly oblong, 6-9 × 1.5-2.4 mm, 3-veined, margin crisped, apex shortly mucronate. Petals similar to sepals but with thickened midvein, pale yellow; lip similar to petals, ca. 10 × 2.5 mm. Column ventrally with 2 projecting wings below staminode; wings quadrate, ca. 0.7 mm, longitudinally sulcate; filaments ca. 1 mm; anthers sublinear, 4-5 mm, base sagittate, apex apiculate, with locules unequal in length; staminode subcylindric, slightly shorter than style, adnate to style for most of its length though distal ca. 1 mm free; style 5-6 mm, extending slightly beyond anthers, apex with slightly dilated stigma. Capsule cylindric, 15-20 × 2-3 mm. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Jun-Jul.

Forests; ca. 700 m. N and S Guangdong (Wengyuan, Zengcheng), SW Guangxi (Longzhou), Hainan, S Yunnan (Mengla, Simao) [Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam].