- Grevillea banksii
taxobox
name = "Grevillea banksii"
regnum =Plantae
unranked_divisio =Angiosperms
unranked_classis =Eudicots
ordo =Proteales
familia =Proteaceae
genus = "Grevillea "
species = "G. banksii"
binomial = "Grevillea banksii"
binomial_authority = R.Br.|"Grevillea banksii", known by various common names including Red silky oak, Dwarf silky oak, Banks' grevillea, Byfield waratah and, in Hawaii, Kahili flower is a plant of the large genus "
Grevillea " in the diverse familyProteaceae . Native to Queensland it has been a popular garden plant for many years though has been superseded somewhat horticulturally by smaller and more floriferous hybrids.Taxonomy
"Grevillea banksii" was first described by the botanist Robert Brown, who gave it its epithet in honour of Sir
Joseph Banks .Description
It is a tall, slender or spreading shrub, or small tree up to convert|7|m|ft|0|abbr=on high. Its leaves are
pinnate with 3-11 deeply divided, linear tolanceolate segments 5-10 cm (2-4 in) long and 1 cm wide, with curled-back margins. Flowers are bright red or creamy-white, in clusters up to convert|15|cm|in|0|abbr=on long. It flowers for most of the year, but mainly in winter and spring.Distribution and habitat
"Grevillea banksii" is found on the Queensland coast from Ipswich to
Yeppoon . It grows on headlands, ridges and forest.Cultivation
Various forms of "Grevillea banksii" have been in cultivation for many decades, however it is less seen now than previously as it has been replaced by smaller, more compact, hybrids such as "G." 'Robyn Gordon' and "G.' "Superb'. These newer plants are more compact and have longer flowering periods and are more in demand in the era of the shrinking garden.
"Grevillea" 'Ruby red' is a prostrate red flowering form of uncertain origin which is in cultivation, often grafted onto "
Grevillea robusta ".However, it has left a rich horticultural legacy, being one of the parents of "G." 'Robyn Gordon', which has been one of the most commercially successful garden plants in Australian horticultural history. It is also parent of other garden plants "Grevillea" 'Honey Gem', "G." 'Superb', "G." 'Misty Pink', "G". 'Pink Surprise', and possibly "G." 'Moonlight'.
References
*cite book | author = Olde P & Marriott N | year = 1995 | title = The Grevillea Book, vol 2 | publisher = Kangaroo Press | location = Sydney | isbn = 0-86417-326-1
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