A large herb up to 300 cm tall, with thick rhizome. Leaves are narrowly ovate-lanceolate, up to 40 cm x 9 cm. Inflorescence is ascending, on peduncle up to 8 cm long, with few flowers scattered from base to top, bracts membraneous, bracteoles tubular at the base. Flowers with corolla tube slightly longer than calyx, labellum spoon-shaped to almost circular and concave with emarginate apex, white with prominent middle vein, anther with a 3-lobed appendage having ear-shaped side lobes. Fruits are up to 2 cm long, reddish-brown and covered by small flexuous spines, difficult to break into 3 fragments.

As febrifuge and antiseptic (fruit)

PROSEA (Plant Resources of South-East Asia) Foundation