Flowering plant slender, 20–30 cm tall. Leaf linear, 10–20 cm long, 2–3 mm wide. Flowers 1 or 2, mostly golden yellow, paler towards base of perianth segments; ovary c. 8 mm long; perianth segments 11–13 mm long, c. 3 mm wide, acute, both sides with scattered glands, but denser on exterior surface; dorsal sepal more or less hooded, curved at about middle, embracing column, linear-obovate; lateral sepals and petals spreading, curved upwards at the apices, linear-lanceolate, asymmetric, lateral sepals slightly broader than petals and widely divergent. Labellum on short claw, 3-lobed, c. 8 mm long (when flattened), whitish below, with red or purple transverse bars above; lateral lobes entire, with a triangular distal edge; mid-lobe triangular, recurved, glandular, dark purple, fringed with stalked, granular-headed, purple calli becoming sessile towards apex; lamina calli in 4 crowded rows basally, grading to 2 rows and ending well before labellum apex, heads purple and granular. Column incurved, narrowly winged at base, expanded above, with red or purple markings; anther with short point. Flowers Dec.–Jan.
Distinguished from C. iridescens and C. transitoria in having golden yellow flowers which appear in summer.
Only about half a dozen plants have ever been seen at the single known locality, so it is most likely endangered.
