Orthoceras strictum, commonly known as the bird's-mouth orchid or horned orchid, is a species of orchid native to eastern and southern Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. It has between two and five linear leaves and up to nine yellowish green, brownish or blackish flowers with two long, erect to spreading lateral sepals. Description Orthoceras strictum is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a tuft of between two and five linear to thread-like, grass-like leaves, long and wide. Up to nine flowers wide are borne on a rigid flowering stem tall. Flower colour varies from blackish, brownish, maroon to yellowish green. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped and forms a hood over the rest of the flower, long and wide. The lateral sepals are linear, horn-like, long, about wide and erect, spreading or curved. The petals are oblong, long, about wide and hidden inside the dorsal sepal. The labellum is long and has three lobes. The middle lobe is elliptic to egg-shaped, long, wide and the side lobes are long, about wide. There is a pyramid-shaped callus near the base of the labellum. Flowering occurs from November to February. Taxonomy and naming Orthoceras strictum was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown and the description was published in his book Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen. The generic name (Orthoceras) is derived from the Ancient Greek words orthos meaning "straight" and keras, keratos meaning "horn, which alludes to the upright lateral sepals. The specific epithet (strictum) is a Latin word meaning "straight" or "tight". Distribution and habitat The bird's-mouth orchid is widespread but uncommon and occurs in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and New Caledonia. It grows in a wide range of habitats from grassy forest to heath. The differences between this species and Orthoceras novae-zeelandiae from New Zealand are "very slight and dubious". Conservation Orthoceras strictum is listed in Tasmania as "rare" under the Tasmanian Government Threatened Species Protection Act 1995. References External links Diuridinae Orchids of Oceania Orchids of New South Wales Orchids of Victoria (Australia) Orchids of South Australia Orchids of Tasmania Orchids of Queensland Orchids of New Zealand Orchids of New Guinea Orchids of New Caledonia Plants described in 1810