Tropidia viridifusca, commonly known as the dark crown orchid,[1] is an evergreen, terrestrial plant with thin, pleated, dark green leaves on a thin, upright stem with up to seven green and brown flowers crowded on a short flowering stem on top. It is only known from three Pacific Islands near Australia.
Tropidia viridifusca is an evergreen, terrestrial herb with thin but tough, upright stems NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 tall with between four and seven thin, pleated, dark green leaves NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The leaves have three prominent veins. Above the leaves is a flowering stem about 10sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long with between two and seven green and brown flowers. The flowers open widely and are NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The sepal are NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide with the lateral sepals spreading widely apart from each other. The petals are NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The labellum is NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long, about 3sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and brown to almost black with a thick pouch at its base. Flowering occurs between December and January.[2]
Tropidia viridifusca was first formally described in 1929 by Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Kraenzlin and the description was published in Vierteljahrsschrift der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Zürich.[3] The specific epithet (viridifusca) is derived from the Latin words viridis meaning "green"[4] and fuscus meaning "dusky" or "tawny".
The dark crown is only known from Grande Terre in New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Norfolk Island where it grows on slopes in shady forest.[5] [6]