It has between two and four narrow, upright leaves at its base and up to thirty five small white flowers with a green dorsal sepal.

The labellum spur curves forwards and is 7–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long.

[2][3] Habenaria praecox was first formally described in 1999 by Bill Lavarack and Alick Dockrill from a specimen collected near Cardwell and the description was published in Austrobaileya.

[4] The specific epithet (praecox) is a Latin word meaning "early ripe" or "premature".

[5] The early rein orchid grows with grasses and sedges in forests between Coen and Proserpine.