Plant: 7-20 cm tall. Up to 5 broad, oval leaves, the lowest leaf small and narrow, 10cm x 15mm, tips narrow and pointed.

Flowers: large, broad leaning forward, 30mm tall. Dorsal sepal down-turned at the tip. Lateral sepals short, stout and turned backwards, tips usually orange. Labellum red, long and narrow with a prominent mid-rib. Stigma long and wider than the column.

Habitat: forest and scrub foothills of E side of Ruahine and Tararua ranges.

Flowering: November.

Conservation: local; common in its known habitat.

Notes: the flower is larger than either P. australis or P. patens, the leaves flatter and wider, the sepals broader and tapering more strongly.

Key features: large, broad flower with shortly pointed, stout tepals, dorsal curled forwards, lateral sepals, pointing straight rearwards and often downwards.