Perennial. Roots not swollen, c. 1.0-1.5 mm thick, long. rhizome slender, dark brown, permanently covered by dead leaves forming large clumps and separating into fibres. Leaves up to 80 cm long, 1.5-3.5 mm broad, erect, ribbed, veins 3-9. Peduncle (stem) up to 50 cm long with 2-6 flowers; bracts 3, 6.5-10 (-14) cm long, 2 cm wide, margin membranous. Pedicel 1.5-2.5 cm long. Flowers up to 9 cm in diameter, violet through to white; tube 4-6 (-12) cm long; falls 5-6 cm long, 1.0 cm wide; claw 3.5-4.2 cm long, narrowly elliptic oblong; blade 1.5-2.0 cm long, elliptic-ovate; standard erect, 3.5-6 cm long, 0.5-1.0 cm broad. Filaments c. 1 cm long, anther c. 1.5 cm long. Ovary 2.5 cm long, spindle-shaped; styles 3.5-4.5 cm long, with lobes 1.2-1.5 cm long, linear; stigma deeply bilobed; capsule 4.5-6.5 cm long.
Fl. Per.: June-July. Vern.: Gharwasha.
Type: Ad fl. Ajagus, Schrenk (LE); Isotype (K).
Distribution: Pakistan (Chitral, Baluchistan), Afghanistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Soviet Central Asia, Mongolia, Northern China (A.B. White, l.c.).
A plant of dry sandy plains, 900-2500 m. Powder of roots mixed with curd is used to cure diarrhoea (Burkill, Work. List Fl. Pl. Baluch. 72. 1909; Kirtikar & Basu, l.c.).
