This species is commonest on the eroded clay formations of northern central Italy but can also be found in nutrient poor grasslands and scrub, where although it is generally uncommon, can grow in large numbers in favoured sites. It is currently known from the regions of Emillia-Romagna, Marche and Tuscany.

O. lorenae is a slender plant with up to eight small, rectangular to trapezoid shaped flowers with relatively modest protuberances. The perianth is usually white with green central veins, though pink and even red have been recorded. The basal field is distinctive, being either dark brown or a dark rusty red and which sits below a virtually coal black stigmatic cavity. The speculum is normally uncomplicated, comprising a violet background bordered by pale yellow lining. Flowering commences in mid April and runs to late May.

The taxonomic status of this species is not completely understood as it bears a strikingly close morphological resemblance to O. annae, an orchid that is currently thought to be restricted to Corsica and Sardinia, more than 200kms across the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west.