Scientific Name: Townsonia viridis
Common Name: beech orchid
Family Classification (Clade): Monocots
Family: Orchidaceae
Form Description: Small fragile orchid with a fleshy stem growing in beech forests; single oval leaf, often around the midpoint of the stem.
Height (m): 0.05 – 0.15
Flowers: Small green and red flowers borne on a fleshy scape. 1-4 often slightly nodding flowers, green with maroon markings. Labellum heart-shaped.
Municipality
Plant Communities
Habitat Notes
Prefers rainforest and tall open eucalypt forest with rainforest understorey, usually growing in moss or rotting logs, at the base of trees and occasionally on boulders. Widespread and quite common in the western half of the state from lowland to 1000m; also at Mt Maurice in the north-east. Likely to be fire sensitive. Occurs only in permanently moist forests, a habitat that is drastically altered for a prolonged period after fires.
Site Tolerance
Moist, Shady, Waterlogged
Soil Tolerance
Clay, Fertile, Loam, Nutrient-poor, Poorly-drained, Sandy
Frost Tolerance
Moderate
Propagation Calendar
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Flowering Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Seed Collecting Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Sowing Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Cutting Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Propagation Method
Seed Information
Seed Treatment Notes
Orchid seeds are very minute yellow, brown or blackish dust-like particles. Orchid seeds are produced within a capsule that splits at maturity and releases thousands to millions of seeds. Dispersed by wind and water and only germinate following infection of the embryo by a suitable mycorrhizal fungus. Very few seeds become mature plants. For more information see Jones, Wapstra, Tonelli, Harris (1999): The Orchids of Tasmania.