The plant has a sturdy, erect stem, sheathed in its lower third by several long, narrow, green leaves which dwindle into bracts along the upper part of the stem. The roots are fleshy, tuberous and tapering, and radiate from the base of the stem.
After one flowering season, the plant seems to rest by sending up only a few leaves the next season. The floral head is a compact raceme with little fringed petals and long spurs poking out at all angles.