Plant: small, robust, 5–10cm tall with a basal rosette of oval blue green leaves.

Flowers: up to 7 small green striped flowers, tepals broadly oval, pointed lateral sepals fused below the labellum Labellum broad, oval with a forward pointing callus at the base.

Flowering: December to January.

Habitat: montane grassland in short turf, often with Hieracium. Nelson southwards.

Conservation: widespread, sometimes locally common, more often in scattered small groups; not threatened.

Notes: very similar to but distinguished from P. tristis by large forward projecting callus at base of labellum.

Key features: plant with a basal rosette, presence of several small greenish flowers, very stout tepals, labellum callus points outwards.