''Lyperanthus serratus'', commonly called rattle beaks, is a species of
orchid
Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant.
Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...
which is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to the south-west of Western Australia. It derives its common name from the fact that the flowers rattle if gently shaken.
Description
''Lyperanthus serratus'' is a tuberous, perennial herb, high with 3 to 10 green, yellow and brown flowers, wide, from September to October.
The flowers have white (non-secreting)
glandular hairs on the
labellum. There is a single leaf which is arched, ribbed, leathery and linear, about long and wide.
A powdery bloom covers the entire plant, except for the innermost parts of the flower. The single leaf is lance-shaped, long and wide, dark green with a paler lower surface.
Taxonomy and naming
The species was first described by John Lindley in 1840 in his ''The Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants''.
The type specimen was collected by
Drummond near the
Swan River. Lindley noted ''"This has, when dried, so much the appearance of L. suaveolens, that I mistook it for that species. It is however a much stouter plant; and, as will be seen by the above character, the labellum is altogether different."''
The
specific epithet
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
(''serratus'') refers to the white calli found on the labellum appearing like serrations on its edge.
Distribution and habitat
The species occurs in the
Avon Wheatbelt,
Esperance Plains
Esperance Plains, also known as Eyre Botanical District, is a biogeographic region in southern Western Australia on the south coast between the Avon Wheatbelt and Hampton bioregions, and bordered to the north by the Mallee region. It is a pl ...
,
Jarrah Forest
Jarrah forest is tall open forest in which the dominant overstory tree is ''Eucalyptus marginata'' (jarrah). The ecosystem occurs only in the Southwest Botanical Province of Western Australia. It is most common in the biogeographic region named in ...
,
Swan Coastal Plain
The Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia is the geographic feature which contains the Swan River as it travels west to the Indian Ocean. The coastal plain continues well beyond the boundaries of the Swan River and its tributaries, as a geol ...
and
Warren
A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval Angl ...
biogeographical regions of Western Australia on sand, loam or sandy clay. It grows in a variety of habitats including forest, woodland and heath and often grows through reasonably low, dense vegetation.
Use in horticulture
As with other Australian terrestrial orchids, ''Lyperanthus serratus'' is not well known in cultivation but success has been achieved with the closely related ''
Lyperanthus suaveolens''.
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15469038
serratus
Serratus may refer to any of several muscles in the thorax (trunk). See:
*Serratus anterior muscle
*Serratus posterior superior muscle
*Serratus posterior inferior muscle
The serratus posterior inferior muscle, also known as the posterior serra ...
Endemic orchids of Australia
Orchids of Western Australia
Endemic flora of Western Australia
Taxa named by John Lindley
Plants described in 1840