Habenaria fallax (Lindley) King & Pantling; Herminium fallax (Lindley) J. D. Hooker; Monorchis fallax (Lindley) O. Schwarz; Peristylus fallax var. dwarikae Deva & H. B. Naithani; Platanthera fallax (Lindley) Schlechter.

Plants slender to somewhat robust, 14-30 cm tall. Tubers subglobose to oblong-ellipsoid, 1-1.5 × ca. 0.8 cm. Stem with 2 or 3 tubular sheaths at base, 1-leaved. Leaf basal or cauline, narrowly oblong-elliptic to oblanceolate, 6-13 × 0.8-2 cm, apex acute. Inflorescence 11-22 cm; peduncle cylindric to slightly ridged, slender to stout, ebracteate or with 1 lanceolate sterile bract to 20 mm; rachis 5-14 cm, sublaxly to densely many flowered; floral bracts lanceolate, 6-15 mm, basal ones exceeding flowers, apex acuminate. Flowers horizontal, yellowish green; ovary 6-7 mm including pedicel. Dorsal sepal suberect, oblong-ovate, concave, 3-4 × 1.5-1.8 mm, 1-veined, apex obtuse; lateral sepals spreading, ovate-lanceolate, oblique, slightly concave, 3.5-4.2 × ca. 1.4 mm, 1-veined, apex subacute. Petals ascending, ovate-lanceolate, 3.2-4 × ca. 1.2 mm, 1-veined, apex acute; lip spreading, ovate, 3.2-5.5 × 1-1.3 mm, ecallose, 3-lobed near middle; lateral lobes diverging at an acute angle from axis of lip, oblong, 0.8-1.5 mm, apex obtuse; mid-lobe oblong, 1-2 mm, broader than lateral lobes; spur pendulous, scrotiform to oblong-clavate, 0.8-1.5 mm, apex obtuse or sometimes shallowly 2-lobed. Column ca. 1 mm; viscidia disklike; rostellum broad, with short arms. Fl. Jul-Sep. 2n = 30, 34, 42.

Forests, forest margins, alpine grasslands; 3000-3300 m. SW Sichuan, S Xizang, NW Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Nepal].