Flowering plant slender, 4–16 cm tall. Leaf linear, 3–9 cm long, shorter than flowering stem, 0.8–1.3 mm wide. Flower solitary, white or pinkish, darker pink externally; ovary 5–10 mm long; dorsal sepal incurved, linear, 7–9 mm long, c. 2.5 mm wide, usually more than 3 times as long as broad, apex bluntly acute; lateral sepals fused basally, tips spreading slightly, sometimes asymmetric, linear-lanceolate, 7–9 mm long, 2.5–3 mm wide; petals spreading, 7–9 mm long, c. 2.5 mm wide. Labellum sessile, 3-lobed, 4.5–5.5 mm long, 5–6 mm wide (when flattened), cream, with prominent transverse red bars; lateral lobes prominent, broad, margins entire, anterior margin rounded; mid-lobe small, recurved, triangular, with 4–8 marginal calli, yellow at apex; lamina calli in 2 rows nearly to base of mid-lobe, stalked and clubbed, yellow. Column incurved, narrowly winged, barred with dark-red; anther with a long point. Flowers Oct.–Nov.
GipP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, NIS, EGL. NSW, ACT, Tas. Widespread but localised in Victoria in heathland, heathy forest and open forest often on moisture-retentive soils.
Similar to Caladenia pusilla but that species has shorter, thicker flower stems.
Flowers are short-lived and self-pollinating, sometimes without opening.
