plant saxicolous, caulescent, usually silver, flowering to 20 cm high, stem dorsiventrally , conspicuous curved. leaves polystichous, recurved but never secund, rigid and thick, sheath distinct, gradually narrowing from base to tip, finally filiform, to 14 cm long, above the sheath 10 - 12 mm wide, clearly channeled concave, both sides dense silvery appressed lepidote. inflorescence 5–10 flowered, simple spike, exceeding the tips of the leaves; peduncle glabrous, to 10 cm long, peduncle bracts sheath red , with a long oblong acuminate glabrous blade with lepidote silvery tip, enclosing the peduncle, much longer than the internodes, papery; rachis a little geniculate; floral bracts red, acute ovate, concave not keeled, glabrous, polystichous, 20–25 mm long, exceeding the sepals. flowers erect, 25 mm long, sessile, polystichous, sepals 20 mm long, lanceolate, glabrous, adaxial pair connate to the tip, abaxial free or connate for 1mm; petals white, to 22 mm long, widening to a rounded blade from a linear claw, 5 mm wide, free and ligulate, at anthesis the tip spreading recurved. stamens twice as short as the petals, at anthesis included in the throat; filament slender, linear, usually plicate a little above the middle, free; anther yellow, 3 mm long, linear, rounded tip, a small cut at the base, basifixed, ovary 3 sided, 5 mm long, the lower fertile part is divided from the sterile upper portion merging into an erect, slender style 2–3 times as long.Edited from : Rodriguesia Ano XXVI No.38 p114-5. ((1971))