Hakea orthorrhyncha

taxobox
name = Bird Beak Hakea
regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Eudicots
ordo = Proteales
familia = Proteaceae
genus = "Hakea"
species = "H. orthorrhyncha "
binomial = "Hakea orthorrhyncha "
binomial_authority = F.Muell|

"Hakea orthorrhyncha", commonly known as Bird Beak Hakea, is a shrub which is endemic to the Murchison River area of Western Australia.

"Hakea orthorrhyncha" has a spreading habit, growing to between 2 and 3 metres tall with a similar spread. The bright red flowers appear in clusters on older growth from early winter to early spring. The woody, beaked fruits which follow are about 40 mm long and 20 mm wide.

The species was first described in 1868 by botanist Ferdinand von Mueller who gave it the specific epithet "orthorrhyncha" which is derived from the Greek words "ortho" (straight) and "rhynchos" (beak) alluding to the straight beak on the seed capsules.

There are two varieties of the species, based on differing foliage characteristics:
*"Hakea orthorrhyncha" var. "filiformis" F.Muell. ex Benth. which has terete and often divided leaves up to 160mm long
*"Hakea orthorrhyncha" F.Muell. var. "orthorrhyncha" which has flat leaves which are 2 to 3 mm wide and 140 mm long.

References

* [http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/stddisplay.xsql?pnid=3269 Flora of Australia Online: "Hakea orthorrhyncha"]
* [http://florabase.calm.wa.gov.au/browse/flora?f=090&level=s&id=2192&type=l&PHPSESSID=0ac19ee78379cf934f6d865c76f75407 FloraBase - the West Australian Flora: "Hakea orthorrhyncha"]
* [http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cgi-bin/apni Australian Plant Name Index, IBIS database, Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra]
* [http://asgap.org.au/h-ort.html Association of Societies for Growing Australian Plants (ASGAP): "Hakea orthorrhyncha"]