Thelymitra viridis, commonly called the green sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to Tasmania. It has a single erect, fleshy, channelled leaf and up to seven small self-pollinating pale blue to pale purplish flowers. The rest of the plant is a pale green colour.
Thelymitra viridis is a tuberous, perennial herb with a single erect, pale green, fleshy, channelled, linear to lance-shaped leaf NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide, sometimes with a purplish base. Between two and seven pale blue to pale purple flowers NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide are arranged on a flowering stem NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 tall. The sepals and petals are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and pale green on the back. The column is pale blue to pale green, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The lobe on the top of the anther is usually yellowish, tube-shaped and gently curved with a small notch. The side lobes curve upwards and have mop-like tufts of white hairs. Flowering occurs in October and November but the flowers are self-pollinating and only open on hot days.[1] [2]
Thelymitra viridis was first formally described in 2004 by Jeff Jeanes and the description was published in Muelleria from a specimen collected in the Rocky Cape National Park.[3] The specific epithet (viridis) is a Latin word meaning "green",[4] referring to the overall pale greenish colour of this orchid.
The green sun orchid grows in heath, near swamps and near rocks in coastal Tasmania.