townsonia viridis (Beech Orchid)
Townsonia viridis, the Beech Orchid is a very small (5-15 mm high) fleshy orchid found on moss-covered logs and boulders in wet sclerophyll or rain forests. Its a green orchid with reddish colouring on the labellum. It has an oval green leaf often some way up the scape.
Despite the name, it may be found on eucalypt logs and on Kunanyi/Mt Wellington I have seen it in relatively new re-growth forests (burned in the 67 bushfires), but in the wetter gullies on decaying logs covered in thick moss.
Flowering time seems to be mid-November onwards. The images here were captured on 23 Nov 2022 around 400 m above sea level closeto one of the popular walking tracks
Although said to be widespread and common in much of Western Tasmania, this is not an easy orchid to find given its very specific habitat, small size and colouring.
