Adenochilus nortonii is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with a long, thin, horizontal rhizome and a single egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaf, 15–35 mm (0.6–1 in) long and 10–16 mm (0.4–0.6 in) wide with reddish spots on the lower surface.

[2][4][3] Adenochilus nortonii was first formally described in 1876 by Robert FitzGerald from a specimen collected near Mount Victoria and the description was published in his book Australian Orchids.

[5] The specific epithet (nortonii) honours James Norton (1824-1906), an amateur botanist and friend of Fitzgerald.

[5][6] The white gnome orchid grows in rock crevices, in sphagnum and near creeks in beech forest, usually above 900 m (3,000 ft).

It is found in the Blue Mountains, Barrington Tops and Point Lookout areas.