To add to the confusion, Rica Erickson had described and illustrated this taxon in 1958 under the name S. uliginosum, another currently accepted name for a related species.

Obovate or orbicular leaves, about 4-10 per plant, form basal rosettes.

This species generally has one to seven scapes and cymose inflorescences that are 3–20 cm long.

S. tenerum has a wide distribution ranging from eastern Queensland and extreme northeastern New South Wales up to the Wessel Islands of the Northern Territory in Australia and has even been located in Papua New Guinea.

Its typical habitats include the sandy soils of creekbanks, seepage areas, and coastal lowlands in open Melaleuca communities.