''Lyperanthus suaveolens'', commonly called brown 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 ...

that 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 eastern states of Australia.

Description

''Lyperanthus suaveolens'' is a tuberous, perennial herb, high with 2 to 8 yellowish brown, brown or dark reddish brown flowers, about wide, from August to November. The flowers are sometimes fragrant in warm weather. The single leaf is linear to lance-shaped, long and up to wide, leathery with a dark upper and pale lower surface.

Taxonomy and naming

The species was first described by Robert Brown in 1810 in '' Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen''. 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 ...

(''suaveolens'') is derived from the Latin ''suaveolens'' meaning "sweet-smelling".

Distribution and habitat

The species occurs in woodland areas of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

Use in horticulture

As with other Australian terrestrial orchids, this species is not well known in cultivation but success has been achieved by growing it in a shadehouse of 50-70% shadecloth.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15469134 suaveolens Flora of Queensland Flora of New South Wales Flora of Victoria (Australia) Flora of Tasmania Plants described in 1810 Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773)