Small epiphyte, usually consisting of a single growth with a leaf span of 8–15 cm, occasionally branching from the base and forming multi-headed clumps. Stems 30–60 mm long, fibrous. Leaves 3–8 (rarely 10–13), usually curved, 60–100 × 9–12 mm, leathery, margins finely toothed. Racemes 50–100 mm long, arching or pendulous, 3–12-flowered, old racemes drying black. Flowers nearly round, 12–45 × 12–45 mm, cream to white. Sepals and petals widely spreading, broadest near middle. Dorsal sepal 8–14 × 5–7 mm. Lateral sepals 8–14 × 7–9 mm. Petals 8–14 × 5–7 mm. Labellum c. 6 mm across, white, usually with orange or bright yellow patches on lateral lobes overlaid with red or purple stripes and purple on midlobe; lateral lobes c. 5 × 4.5 mm; midlobe short, fleshy.
A very widespread and common species that occurs in a wide range of habitats from near sea level on the coast, to high in the mountains, usually where there is plenty of air movement. In southern parts of its range it extends from the lowlands to high in the mountains, but in the tropics it's restricted to mountains and tablelands above c. 500 m altitude. It's often prominent on trees growing on exposed slopes and ridge tops where breezes, mists, clouds and drizzly weather are frequent, but it also occurs in gullies, near streams and on sheltered, humid slopes, often in or near rainforest, but also other moist to wet forests. Also occurs in small isolated patches of humid coastal forest near estuaries and behind large dunes. Perhaps surprisingly, it sometimes grows on river oaks beside streams in fairly open, but humid, situations and is known to colonise relict trees left in cleared paddocks, cultivated fruit trees and other garden trees and shrubs. It grows on rocks, trunks and larger branches of a wide range of shrubs and trees. Large wattles are a common host, particularly Blackwood growing along ridges where humid air drains; other hosts include Red Cedar, Antarctic Beech, Myrtles (Austromyrtus and Backhousia species), Sassafrass (Doryphora sassafrass), Lilly Pillies (Syzygium species), Figs (Ficus species), Swamp Mahogany, Stinging Trees (Dendrocnide species), Water Gums, Brush Box, Bolwarra (Eupomatia laurina) and Eastern Leatherwood. It has also been found at high altitudes growing on Banksia monticola (David Banks pers. comm.).
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