A large herb growing up to 400 cm tall, with stout and long underground rhizome and rather slender, up to 1.5 cm thick, leafy stems. Leaves are lanceolate, 10-60 cm x 2-9 cm. Inflorescence with base in the ground, up to 10 cm long, dense and rounded, bracts about 3.5 cm x 1.5 cm, thin, brownish and soon disintegrating, bracteoles about 1 cm long, tubular at the base. Flowers are pedicelled, far exserted from bracts, corolla tube about as long as calyx, lobes pale flesh-coloured to orange, labellum orange-yellow with many small crimson spots and lines, forming a closed cup with dorsal petal, anther with considerably spreading crest. Fruit is 2-3.5 cm x 1.5-2 cm, dark purplish, covered with fleshy greenish spines.

PROSEA (Plant Resources of South-East Asia) Foundation

Applied to the eyes of women after childbirth (juice from the leaf-stalks); chewed in combination with other plants and traditional salt to soothe headaches and backache (leaves); to treat fever and influenza (leaf sap).