Hemipilia bulleyi Rolfe; H. cordifolia var. yunnanensis Finet; H. cruciata Finet; H. formosana Hayata; H. yunnanensis (Finet) Schlechter.

Plants 13-27 cm tall. Tubers ovoid to subspherical, 1.5-4.5 cm. Stem with 1 tubular cataphyll at base, 1-leaved. Leaf abaxially purplish, adaxially dark green with purple spots, suborbicular to cordate, 2.5-8 × 2-6.5 cm, fleshy, base cordate, apex acute or obtuse. Inflorescence 11-25 cm, with 2 or 3 lanceolate sterile bracts; rachis 5-10 cm, laxly to subdensely 3- to more than 10-flowered; floral bracts lanceolate, apex acuminate. Flowers purplish red to pink; pedicel and ovary erect, often arcuate toward apex, 7-15 mm. Dorsal sepal oblong to ovate-lanceolate, 4-6 × 2-3.2 mm, 5-veined, apex obtuse; lateral sepals spreading to reflexed, oblong-ovate, falcate, 6-7 × 3.5-4 mm, 5-veined, apex acuminate. Petals connivent with dorsal sepal and forming a hood, ovate, slightly oblique, 3.2-4.5 × 2-3 mm, 3-veined, apex subacute; lip variable in outline, 7-9 × ca. 5 mm, 3-lobed though lateral lobes sometimes reduced, adaxially finely papillate, apical margin usually fimbriate; lateral lobes short, rectangular, triangular, or suborbicular, margin entire to minutely incised; mid-lobe rectangular to ovate-orbicular, margins usually diverging, entire to slightly serrate, apex not divided; spur straight and horizontal or slightly upcurved toward apex, to strongly downcurved, cylindric to attenuate, 10-15 mm, apex obtuse. Column ca. 2.5 mm; rostellum ca. 1 mm. Capsule ca. 2.5 cm. Fl. Jun-Sep. 2n = 42.

Forests, rocky slopes; 1500-3500 m. SW Sichuan, Taiwan, S Xizang, NW Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal].