Plants 4-37 cm. Roots spreading to descending, slender, mostly to 0.6 cm diam. Leaves persisting through and long after anthesis, 3-4, basal, ascending-spreading, elliptic-lanceolate, 3-12 × 0.5-1.5 cm. Spikes rather openly spiraled, 3-4 flowers per cycle of spiral; rachis sparsely to moderately pubescent, some trichomes capitate, glands obviously stalked. Flowers nearly horizontal to abruptly nodding from base, white, tubular; sepals linear-oblong; dorsal sepal connate at base, 4.5-5.5 mm; lateral sepals appressed to petals and lip, straight, 5-6 mm × 1-2 mm; petals linear-oblong, 5-6 × 2-4 mm, apex obtuse; lip brilliant yellow or yellow-orange, centrally greenish yellow, oblong, 5-6 × 2-4 mm, margins crenulate, veins several, greenish, branches few, very short, mostly widely diverging, sometimes forming reticulum with primary veins; basal calli spreading, 1 mm; viscidium oval; ovary 3-8 mm. Seeds monoembryonic. 2n = 44. Flowering May--Aug. Rocky and sandy riverbanks, calcareous seeps, fens, 0--900 m; N.B., N.S., Ont., Que.; Conn., Del., Ill., Ind., Kans., Ky., Maine, Mass., Mich., Mo., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Y., Ohio, Pa., R.I., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis.