[1] Its flowers are pale to light pink, reflecting its Latin root lacteus (milky).

[3] Neotinea lactea is a robust polycarpic geophyte of 10 to 25 cm high when flowering.

The many small flowers form a dense cluster of up to 7 cm long and oval or cylindrical in shape.

[4][5] Neotinea lactea prefers a dry calcareous soil with full sun to semi-shaded light.

Plants can be found up to 1800 m elevation on calcareous grasslands, abandoned olive orchards, exposed locations in a garrigue and open forests.