Rosette leaves 5–12, elliptic, 18–40 x 8–12mm. Flower stem 200–35 tall, 1.5–2. across, 2–10-flowered. Flowers semi-erect to erect, 20–25 x 7–9mm, translucent white with green and dark brown to blackish (leaden-coloured) markings. Dorsal sepal point filamentous, 8–1 long, upcurved. Lateral sepals deflexed in S-shaped curve in profile (sometimes recurved against ovary), narrower than hood, deeply concave, glabrous or sparsely hairy; free points filamentous, 10–1 long, curved forwards, parallel or divergent. Petals with large basal flanges blocking off base of opening, 10–12 x 3–3.5mm. Labellum exposed, narrowly ovate, 4–5 x 2mm, thick, dark brown, covered with short hairs, fleshy, shallowly channelled; marginal bristles 8–12, 1– long; basal lobe thick, with tuft of numerous bristles to 1. long.
Widely distributed but localised, growing in range of habitats including woodland with sparse understorey, low scrub fringing salt lakes, quartzite hills, granite outcrops and shallow clay depressions over sheet limestone.