Dipodium variegatum M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones

Plant leafless. Basal bracts overlapping, sharply pointed, often protruding above ground. Flower stem 300–600 mm tall, greenish to purplish red, 2–50-flowered. Ovaries humped, cream or light green with darker spots and blotches. Flowers c. 20 mm across, cream to light pink with heavy maroon blotching. Sepals and petals spreading with recurved tips. Dorsal sepal 16–18 × 4.5–5 mm. Lateral sepals 17–19 × 4.5–5 mm. Petals 15–17 × 4 mm. Labellum 13–15 × 3.5–4 mm, mauve or maroon; lateral lobes 4–5 × 1 mm, pubescent inside at base; midlobe 8–12 × 3.5–5 mm, with band of mauve hairs forming large apical patch. Callus ridges c. 3 × 0.6 mm, divergent, pubescent. Column 7–8 × 3 mm, white. Capsules dark purplish brown.

Widespread and common; growing in heathland, coastal scrub, heathy forest, open forest, and woodland in freely draining sands, gravels, stony soil and clay loam.

The fleshy roots are eaten.