Plants up to (10-) 20-35 cm tall. Stem solid, leafy mainly towards the base. Leaves spreading, unspotted, up to 15 x 1-2(-3) cm, broadest below the middle. Bracts narrow-lanceolate, the lower slightly exceeding the ovary. Flowers rose to pale purple. Sepals Oblong-lanceolate, up to 11x3 mm, the dorsal converging with petals forming a loose hood, the lateral ± reflexed, often with some purplish spots. Petals usually slightly shorter and narrower than sepals. Labellum obovate or rhomboidal, 8-11 mm long, 6-9 mm broad, papillose and very clearly marked with few darker purple dots and lines, entire or faintly 3-lobed, mid-lobe somewhat elongated. Spur cylindric, pointed, 7-10(-12) mm long, often slightly curved.

Fl. Per.: Mid-June-August.

Type: Chitral: Kafiristan, in Valle Brumboret (Bomboret) prope pagum Karkal, 2300 m, in gratis humidis, 3. vii. 1966. Renz 10272 (holo.:G. Isotype, Herb. Renz).

Distribution: In Pakistan on its northern border region (Chitral, Gilgit, Hunza) in high altitude marshes, 2000-3700 m. Dactylorhiza Kafiriana has recently been observed (colour picture by W. Rummel, Erlangen) in the Suru river Valley, which extends the area eastwards to Ladakh.