Nervilia peltata is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, sympodial herb which grows in colonies with only a few individuals producing flowers in any one year.

The leaf is pale greyish green, more or less circular with a central stalk, 20–45 mm (0.8–2 in) in diameter with irregular edges.

[2][3] Nervilia peltata was first formally described in 1994 by Bruce Gray and David Jones and the description was published in the journal Austrobaileya.

[4] The specific epithet (peltata) is a Latin word meaning "shield-shaped" or "armed with a shield".

The usual habitat is forest or woodland where the orchid grows with grasses, often in large open colonies.