Slender, erect tuberous geophyte up to 35cm with a softly haired stem. Leaves 1-2 narrow, lance-shaped, up to 9cm, a few small pointed leaves sheath the stem; flowers are purple to magenta, occasionally white or green, with the upper sepal forming a spurred hood and the long, trailing side sepals forming the ribbons of a "granny bonnet"; petals and lip shortly hairy.

Greek: dis = twice, double; pera = a leathern pouch, a wallet: referring to the two distinctive pouches borne on each of the two lateral sepals, which is a generic character prominent in all Disperis species.

The Disperis flower mimics a Polygala flower, and in so doing, tricks carpenter bees into visiting and pollinating; the Disperis flower produces no nectar.