Coelogyne brevifolia Lindley; C. goweri H. G. Reichenbach; C. nitida J. D. Hooker (1890), not (Wallich ex D. Don) Lindley (1830); C. ocellata Lindley; C. ocellata var. boddaertiana H. G. Reichenbach; C. ocellata var. maxima H. G. Reichenbach; C. punctulata var. hysterantha Tang & F. T. Wang; Cymbidium nitidum Roxburgh (1832), not Wallich ex D. Don (1825); Pleione goweri (H. G. Reichenbach) Kuntze; P. nitida Kuntze.

Rhizome rigid, stout, 5-7 mm in diam., with brown scaly sheaths. Pseudobulbs rather contiguous, less than 1 cm apart on rhizome, bright yellow when dried, oblong or narrowly ovoid-oblong, 2.5-4 cm × 7-13 mm, with 2 leaves at apex and several sheaths at base; sheaths ovate-oblong, 2-5 cm, papery. Leaf blade lanceolate or narrowly oblong-lanceolate, 8-14 × 1.3-2.5 cm, adaxially often with dense raised transverse veinlets, apex acuminate; petiole 2-4 cm. Inflorescence hysteranthous, slightly recurved, 8-15 cm; rachis 2-4-flowered; floral bracts caducous, suboblong-lanceolate, 2-3.5 cm; pedicel and ovary 13-17 mm. Flowers white, with deep-colored eyelike blotches on lip. Sepals lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 18-20 × 4-5 mm, apex acute. Petals linear, 18-20 × ca. 1.5 mm; lip ovate, 16-18 × ca. 10 mm, 3-lobed; lateral lobes erect, nearly suborbicular, apex rounded; mid-lobe ovate-lanceolate, ca. 7 × 5-6 mm, with 2 longitudinal, dentate lamellae extending from base of lip to mid-lobe and a short median lamella between them. Column slightly arcuate, ca. 12 mm, both sides winged; wings widened from base to apex, upper part 1.5-2 mm wide on one side, apex subtruncate or obtuse. Capsule obovoid-oblong, ca. 2.2 × 0.8-0.9 cm. Fl. Nov, fr. next Apr. 2n = 38.

On trees or rocks in forests; 1300-2900 m. S and SE Xizang, W Yunnan [Bhutan, NE India, Myanmar, Nepal].