Pterostylis ventricosa is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and when not flowering, a rosette of four to nine dark green, egg-shaped leaves which lie flat on the ground.

It occurs near Nowra, Tallong, Mittagong,[2][3] in the Jervis Bay area, Shoalhaven and (discovered in May 2021) in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales.

[7] While the exact processes are not clear, this orchid has a relationship with fungi in the soil (hence does well after wet weather), and it is thought that they could play a role in the ecosystem with insects and other pollinators.

The main threats to the species are land clearing, disturbance by off-road vehicles, grazing by livestock and illegal collection.

[2][3] The find of approximately about 170 plants in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales excited scientists, as they had previously only been found closer to the coast and not at such elevations.