Plants erect, 6-35 cm in flower, taller in fruit; inflorescences nodding in flower, erect in fruit. Leaves 2, initially near middle of stem, subopposite, wide-spreading, distal portion elongating greatly in fruit; blade elliptic to ovate-orbiculate, 4-12 × 2.5-7.5 cm. Flowers (1-)2-4; sepals dull yellow, marked and suffused often intensely with reddish brown or dark purple; dorsal sepal lanceolate, 13-25 × 3-8 mm; lateral sepals connate, synsepal 11-23 × 4-9 mm; petals porrect-spreading, same color as sepals, flat, ovate-lanceolate to lance-acuminate, 10-23 × 6-17 mm; lip color of sepals, usually less intensely marked, mostly obovoid, 8-14(-25) mm, orifice basal, 4-5 mm; staminode ellipsoid to oblong. 2n = 20.

Flowering Apr--Aug. Moist to dry coniferous forests and thickets; 0--3200 m; Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.