Leaves 1 or 2, well developed at flowering, upper leaf smaller than lower if paired, ground-hugging, ovate, 15–55 × 5–25 mm, bluish green to yellowish green with red or purple stripes. Flower stem 100–300 mm long, thin and wiry, 1–3-flowered. Flowers 20–25 × 7–10 mm, yellowish green with reddish or purplish markings. Dorsal sepal elliptic, 8–10 × 4–5 mm, strongly incurved over column. Lateral sepals linear-spathulate, 8–10 × 1 mm, obliquely deflexed, parallel. Petals similar, obliquely erect behind column, 11–13 × 2 mm, margins often incurved, thin with spathulate tips covered with black glands. Labellum hinged, shortly hairy, much wider than long, 8–10 × 4–5 mm, 3-lobed, deep purple with contrasting central green patch; outer margins deeply and coarsely fringed with thin, papillate lobes. Calli absent. Column 5–6 × 3 mm, yellowish green.
Widespread and common; growing in open forest, woodland and coastal heath in freely draining, sandy soil.
Home