Leaf curved to slightly spirally twisted, dark green, 30–80 × 3–5 mm; basal part of leaf widest, purplish, its margins often lobed and undulate, short hairs on veins and margins; leaf narrowing abruptly above base then linear, spirally twisted, encircling flower stem. Flower stem 100–200 × 1–2 mm, wiry, 1-flowered. Flowers 20–45 mm across, pink or purplish, sepals often darker than petals and usually with lines of dark pink or purple spots and blotches. Sepals and petals 8–25 × 3–8 mm, blunt, dorsal sepal widest, labellum narrowest. Column 4.5–6.5 × 2.5–3 mm, similar colour to perianth, often lightly spotted; post-anther lobe vestigial, with dorsal arc of short, globose to finger-like papillae; column arms erect, 2.5–3.5 mm long, ear-like, nearly round, orange or yellow. Anther at top of column, projecting forward, orange to yellow, apex beak-like, 1–1.5 mm long.
Uncommon to rare; found growing in freely draining, sandy soil and laterite in heath, open forest, woodland and shrubland; also occurs around granite outcrops in gravelly, granitic loam.
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