Hakea orthorrhyncha

Bird beak hakea
Hakea orthorrhyncha flower Maranoa Gardens Balwyn, Victoria
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Proteales
Family:	Proteaceae
Genus:	Hakea
Species:	H. orthorrhyncha
Binomial name
Hakea orthorrhyncha F.Muell. [2]
Occurrence data from AVH

fruit

Hakea orthorrhyncha, commonly known as bird beak hakea, ^[3] is a shrub which is endemic to the Murchison River area of Western Australia.

Description

Hakea orthorrhyncha has a spreading habit, growing to between 1–3 m (3–10 ft) tall with a similar spread. The bright red flowers appear in axillary clusters in the leaf nodes on older growth along the branches from early winter to early spring. Leaves vary, they may be needle-like or flat and sometimes forked, curved or straight ending in a sharp point between 7–18 cm (3–7 in) long. Smooth woody fruit are either egg-shaped or elliptic 4–5 cm (2–2 in) long and 2 cm (0.8 in) wide. ^{[4] [5] [6] [3]}

Taxonomy and naming

The species was first described in 1868 by Ferdinand von Mueller in his Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae from specimens collected near the Murchison River by James Drummond and Augustus Oldfield. ^{[7] [8]} The specific epithet orthorrhyncha is derived from the Greek orthos 'straight' and rhynchos 'beak' ^[9] alluding to the straight beak on the seed capsules. ^[3] The common name, bird beak hakea, is presumed to be a confusion between the Greek words for straight and bird. ^[10]

There are two varieties of the species, based on differing foliage characteristics:

• Hakea orthorrhyncha var. filiformis F.Muell. ex Benth. has a spreading rounded growth habit to 3 m (10 ft) high, finely textured needle-like dark green leaves often divided up to 160 mm (6 in) long with a groove on the underside of the leaf. ^[11] This variety grows in the Murchison River to Mingenew area. ^[10]
• Hakea orthorrhyncha F.Muell. var. orthorrhyncha rounded shrub to 1.5 m (5 ft) has flat long and narrow leathery leaves 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) wide and 140 mm (6 in) long. ^[11] This variety is confined to the northern sandplains of the Kalbarri region. ^[10]

Distribution and habitat

Hakea orthorrhyncha grows on the Geraldton sand plains on grey sand, loam and granite. ^[6]

References

1. Barker, R.; Gibson, N.; Barker, W. (2020). "Hakea orthorrhyncha". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T117511615A121862290. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T117511615A121862290.en . Retrieved 13 March 2023.
2. "Hakea orthorrhyncha". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
3. "Hakea orthorrhyncha". Australian Native Plants Society (Australia). Retrieved 6 July 2024.
4. Wilson, Annette, ed. (1999). Flora of Australia (Volume 17B) (PDF). Canberra: ABRS. pp. 111–112. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
5. Holliday, Ivan (2005). Hakeas:A Field and Garden Guide. Reed New Holland. ISBN   1-877069-14-0.
6. "Hakea orthorrhyncha". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
7. "Hakea orthorrhyncha". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
8. von Mueller, Ferdinand (1868). Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae. Vol. 6. Melbourne: Victorian Government Printer. pp. 214–220. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
9. Francis Aubie Sharr (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings. Kardinya, Western Australia: Four Gables Press. p. 267. ISBN   9780958034180.
10. "Hakea orthorrhyncha". South Australian Government. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
11. Young, J A. Hakeas of Western Australia:A Field and Identification Guide. J A Young. ISBN   0-9585778-2-X.