Grevillea speciosa

taxobox
name = Red Spider Flower

---

regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Eudicots
ordo = Proteales
familia = Proteaceae
genus = "Grevillea"
species = "G. speciosa "
binomial = "Grevillea speciosa"
binomial_authority = (Knight) McGill.|

"Grevillea speciosa", also known as Red Spider Flower, is a shrub which is endemic to New South Wales in Australia.

Description

This species is a shrub, growing up to 3 metres in height. Its leaves are narrow-obovate to round or elliptic to narrow-elliptic . The flowers which are red, or occasionally pink, appear predominantly from late winter to late spring (August to November in Australia) but appear sporadically throughout the year.

Distribution

The species occurs in Sydney and the surrounding area in moist areas within dry sclerophyll woodland or heathland.

Taxonomy

The species was first formally described in James Edward Smith's 1793 "A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland" as "Embothrium sericeum" var. "major". In 1809 the plant was rediscovered, and published it as "Lysanthe speciosa", not realising that his material was attributable to Smith's "E. sericeum" var. "major". In 1975 the species was transferred into "Grevillea" as "G. speciosa". Smith's precedence would not be discovered until 2000.

Other synonyms include:
* "Grevillea dubia" R.Br.
* "Grevillea punicea" R.Br.
* "Grevillea punicea" var. "crassifolia" A.A.Ham.
* "Grevillea punicea" R.Br. var. "punicea"

"Grevillea speciosa" subsp. "oleoides" (Sieber ex Schult. & Schult.f.) McGill. is currently regarded as a species in its own right: "Grevillea oleoides" Sieber ex Schult. & Schult.f.

References

*Flora of Australia Online|name="Grevillea speciosa" |id=2790
*APNI | name = "Grevillea speciosa" (Knight) McGill. | id = 9196
* [http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Grevillea~speciosa PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online: "Grevillea speciosa"]

External links

* [http://users.bigpond.net.au/filejest/gre_spec.htm "Grevillea speciosa" ssp. "speciosa" - Red spider flower (Photo)]