Slender beetroot-red tuberous geophyte up to 40cm. Leaves cauline and lanceolate. Inflorescence slender, lax, with few to many flowers; sepals and spur beetroot-red, lip and petals purplish to black, spur cylindrical 15-30 mm long, lateral sepals narrowly oblong and reflexed at anthesis (period during which a flower is fully open and functional); lip oblong to narrowly-oblong, rounded and fleshy, shorter than 8 mm.

The dark colouration and a tendency to slant to one side cause this orchid to closely resemble the fire-blackened twigs among which it often grows.

The flowers release a sharp clove scent in the late afternoon and at night and are likely to be moth-pollinated.