Along our coastline it is confined to coastal heathland although once may have been in our cliff top native grasslands also.
This tufted perennial herb grows much like an inconspicuous thick-leaved grass until flowering when it produces a tall flower spike held well above the leaves. The leaves are thick, linear and erect with finely toothed margins.
The flower-spike has small white to pink coloured flowers which are arranged along its length with older flowers toward the base.
The name Triggerplant comes from the unique arrangement of a carefully hinged pollinating column for each flower which is triggered to affect pollination by visiting insects.