Plant: to 35 cm tall, leaves oval, wavy-margined, thin, blue green 5-10 cm x 20-30 mm.

Flowers: large 30-50 cm tall. Dorsal sepal strongly curled under, lateral sepals spreading, tips long and erect, labellum dark green, long, narrow, tapering.

Flowering: December to January.

Habitat: montane to sub-alpine, open scrub and low forest, often on limestone or marble.

Conservation: often very abundant, especially on marble.

Notes: a characteristic marble plant but also occurs on greywacke at Arthurs Pass. Sterile putative hybrids (no stigma) with P. australis have been seen.

Key features: large flower, strongly in-curled dorsal sepal, thin crinkly leaves.