Grevillea

taxobox
name = "Grevillea"


image_caption = "Grevillea banksii" in flower
regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Eudicots
ordo = Proteales
familia = Proteaceae
subfamilia = Grevilleoideae
genus = "Grevillea"
genus_authority = R.Br. ex Knight
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = See text|

"Grevillea" is a diverse genus of about 360 species of evergreen flowering plants in the protea family Proteaceae, native to Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, and Sulawesi. It was named in honour of Charles Francis Greville. The species range from prostrate shrubs less than 0.5 m tall to trees 35 m tall. Common names include Grevillea, Spider Flower, Silky-oak and Toothbrush.

pecies

:"This list is incomplete; for a complete list, see ."

There are over 350 species which are endemic to Australia, including the following:

Five species are endemic to areas outside Australia. Three of these - "G. exul.", "G. gillvayi", and "G. mesneri" are endemic to New Caledoniawhile "G. elbetii" and "G. papuana" are endemic to Sulawesi and New Guinea respectively. Two other species, "G. baileyana" and "G. glauca", occur in both New Guinea and Queensland.

Uses

Traditional Aboriginal use

Grevillea flowers were a traditional favourite among Aborigines for their sweet nectar. This could be shaken onto the hand to enjoy, or into a coolamon with a little water to make a sweet drink. They might be referred to as the original "bush lollies".

Cultivation

Many species are cultivated for their distinctive foliage and showy flowers, and they have been extensively hybridised. They can be grown from soft tip cuttings from December-March (in the Southern Hemisphere) or seed.

Many harder to grow species can be grafted onto hardy rootstock such as "Grevillea robusta".

Grevilleas hybridise extremely easily in cultivation. this has resulted in a huge number of named Grevillea cultivars.

They are also good bird-attracting plants, honeyeaters in particular are common visitors. They are also used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Dryandra Moth.

There is an active Grevillea Study Group in ASGAP for people interested in Grevilleas, both for uses in horticulture and for conservation in the wild.

References

* [http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/stddisplay.xsql?pnid=2555 ABRS Flora of Australia online: "Grevillea"]

External links

* [http://asgap.org.au/greville.html The Grevillea Page] of ASGAP
* [http://www.grevilleapark.org/ The Illawarra Grevillea Park Page]