Genoplesium turfosum is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single thin leaf with a purplish base and 50–130 mm (2–5 in) long, fused to the flowering stem with the free part 8–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) long.

There is a dark purplish-black callus in the centre of the labellum and extending almost to its tip.

[2][3] Genoplesium turfosum was first formally described in 1991 by David Jones and the description was published in Australian Orchid Research.

[1][5] The specific epithet (turfosum) is a Latin word meaning "peaty" or "boggy", referring to the habitat of this orchid.

[3] The alpine midge orchid grows with dense sedges in boggy places in the Kosciuszko National Park.