Perennial, sometimes rhizomatous herb, with scapes c. 10–45 cm high. Leaves tufted at base, widely spreading to suberect, linear to narrowly oblanceolate (juvenile leaves often linear), 4–15 cm long, c. 3–5(–7) mm wide, pale to mid-green, not bifurrowed; margins membranous with serrations, serrated at apex only, or entire; apex acute to aristate. Scape less than 2 mm wide, sparsely glandular-pubescent above lowest flower, glabrescent below; flowers 7–20 in simple erect, c. flexuose racemes. Calyx subcylindric, c. 5 mm long, glandular-pubescent, lobes equal, shorter than tube, united into two lips; corolla c. 7–10(–12) mm across, dark pink to magenta, lobes paired laterally, unequal, labellum acute with linear appendages as long as labellum, throat appendages 8 (6 prominent, 2 reduced), white with purple tips; column (6–)8–9 mm long; anthers dark-rimmed, pollen white; stigma round, cushion-like. Capsule c. oblong, c. 7 mm long; seeds c. 1 mm long, brown. Flowers Nov.–Jan.
HNF, MonT, VAlp. Restricted to subalpine and alpine grasslands, woodlands and swamps, where locally common on dark, water-retentive soils (e.g. Mt Buffalo, Snowy Range, Dargo and Bogong High Plains, Nunniong Plateau, Mt Cobberas area).
