Orchids in the genus
Townsonia are
terrestrial,
perennial,
deciduous,
sympodial herbs which grow in small groups with their tubers connected by a fleshy root. Each tuber produces one or two leaves. The leaves are very thin with wavy margins. Those on non-flowering plants have a relatively long, fleshy
petiole near ground level. Flowering plants have a similar leaf but lack a petiole, the leaf on the side of a brittle flowering stem. The flowers are small and pale coloured and have a
dorsal sepal wider than the
lateral sepals. The
petals are much smaller than the sepals. The
labellum is much different in size and shape from the petals and sepals, folded lengthwise with a narrow, ridge-like
callus along the mid-line. ==Taxonomy and naming==