# Burnettia

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Genus of flowering plants

Lizard orchid Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Embryophytes Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Spermatophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Monocots Order: Asparagales Family: Orchidaceae Subfamily: Orchidoideae Tribe: Diurideae Subtribe: Megastylidinae Genus: Burnettia Lindl. Species: B. cuneata Binomial name Burnettia cuneata Lindl.[1] Synonyms[1] Lyperanthus sect. Burnettia (Lindl.) Kuntze

***Burnettia cuneata***, commonly known as **lizard orchid**,[2] is the only species of the [flowering plant](/source/Flowering_plant) [genus](/source/Genus) *Burnettia* in the orchid [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)), [Orchidaceae](/source/Orchidaceae). It is a leafless [terrestrial](/source/Terrestrial_plant), [mycotrophic](/source/Mycotroph) [herb](/source/Herbaceous_plant) with one or two leaf-like [bracts](/source/Bract) and up to seven flowers that are brownish on the back and pink or white inside. It is [endemic](/source/Endemism) to southeastern [Australia](/source/Australia) where it grows in dense thickets in swamps.

## Description

*Burnettia cuneata* is a leafless, mycotrophic herb with a single leaf-like, lance-shaped to egg-shaped bract 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in) long and 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide near its base. The fleshy, dark purplish brown flowering stem is 30–130 mm (1–5 in) high and bears up to seven flowers. The flowers are 10–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long, 20–25 mm (0.8–1 in) wide, brownish on the back and pink or white inside. The [sepals](/source/Sepal) and [petals](/source/Petal) are lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 10–130 mm (0.4–5 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide with the [dorsal](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dorsal) sepal forming a hood over the [column](/source/Column_(botany)). The [labellum](/source/Labellum_(botany)) has dark red stripes and is wedge-shaped, 6–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long with two longitudinal ridges along its midline. Flowering occurs between September and December but nearly always only after fires the previous summer.[2][3][4]

## Taxonomy and naming

*Burnettia cuneata* was first formally described in 1840 by [John Lindley](/source/John_Lindley) from a specimen collected in [Tasmania](/source/Tasmania) and the description was published in his book *[The Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Genera_and_Species_of_Orchidaceous_Plants&action=edit&redlink=1)*.[5][6] The [specific epithet](/source/Botanical_name) (*cuneata*) is a [Latin](/source/Latin) word meaning "wedge-shaped".[7]

## Distribution and habitat

Lizard orchid grows in dense thickets of *[Melaleuca](/source/Melaleuca)* and *[Leptospermum](/source/Leptospermum)* in near coastal swamps in [New South Wales](/source/New_South_Wales), Tasmania and [Victoria](/source/Victoria_(Australia)). In New South Wales it occurs south from the [Blue Mountains](/source/Blue_Mountains_(New_South_Wales)) and in Victoria between [Portland](/source/Portland%2C_Victoria) and [Mallacoota](/source/Mallacoota%2C_Victoria) with a [disjunct](/source/Disjunct_distribution) population in the [Grampians](/source/Grampian_Mountains).[2][3][4]

## See also

- [List of Orchidaceae genera](/source/List_of_Orchidaceae_genera)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-APC_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-APC_1-1) ["*Burnettia*"](https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/70189). Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 22 October 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Jones_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Jones_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Jones_2-2) Jones, David L. (2006). *A complete guide to native orchids of Australia including the island territories*. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: New Holland. p. 367. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1877069124](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1877069124).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-RBGV_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-RBGV_3-1) Jeanes, Jeff. ["*Burnettia cuneata*"](https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/a25d7841-6f37-479a-9009-07a09aa94464). Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 6 November 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-RBGS_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-RBGS_4-1) Bernhardt, Peter. ["*Burnettia cuneata*"](http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Burnettia~cuneata). Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 6 November 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-APNI_5-0)** ["*Burnettia cuneata*"](https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/480616). Retrieved 5 November 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Lindl._6-0)** Lindley, John (1840). [*The genera and species of Orchidaceous plants*](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/9889#page/530/mode/1up). London: Ridgways. p. 518. Retrieved 6 November 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Wiktionary_7-0)** ["cuneatus"](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cuneatus#Latin). Wiktionary. Retrieved 5 November 2018.

## External links

Media related to [*Burnettia*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Burnettia) at Wikimedia Commons

- [Retired Aussies, *Burnettia cuneata*, Lizard Orchid](http://www.retiredaussies.com/ColinsHome%20Page/Orchids/Burnettia/Burnettia%20cuneata%20Lizard%20Orchid.htm)

- [Flickr, Malcolm, *Burnettia cuneata*](https://www.flickr.com/photos/orchidsupclose/8102427169/)

Taxon identifiers Burnettia Wikidata: Q311032 Wikispecies: Burnettia APNI: 70189 CoL: 8VVT5 EoL: 100735 FoAO2: Burnettia GBIF: 5305750 GRIN: 1810 iNaturalist: 324016 IPNI: 28907-1 IRMNG: 1350777 NCBI: 176984 Open Tree of Life: 260418 POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:28907-1 Tropicos: 40033439 VicFlora: 71b24b6c-d4e5-4829-ba3d-85eca294916a WFO: wfo-4000005793 Burnettia cuneata Wikidata: Q15117465 Wikispecies: Burnettia cuneata APNI: 70200 CoL: NY2J EoL: 1003655 FoAO2: Burnettia cuneata GBIF: 5305751 iNaturalist: 323896 IPNI: 620536-1 NCBI: 176985 Open Tree of Life: 260417 Plant List: kew-28114 POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:620536-1 Species+: 22706 Tropicos: 50029864 VicFlora: a25d7841-6f37-479a-9009-07a09aa94464 WFO: wfo-0000689382

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Burnettia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnettia) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnettia?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.