- Grevillea striata
taxobox
name = Beefwood
regnum =Plantae
unranked_divisio =Angiosperms
unranked_classis =Eudicots
ordo =Proteales
familia =Proteaceae
genus = "Grevillea "
species = "G. striata "
binomial = "Grevillea striata"
binomial_authority = R.Br.|"Grevillea striata", also known as
Beefwood , is a tree or shrub native to allAustralia n states, with the exception of Victoria andTasmania . Alternative common names for this species include Western Beefwood, Beef Oak, Beef Silky Oak and Silvery Honeysuckle.cite web | title = Australian plant common name database | url = http://www.anbg.gov.au/common.names/ | accessdate = 2007-08-16 | publisher =Australian National Botanic Gardens ]Description
The plant exhibits a range of growth forms, from a spindly shrub ~3m metres in height to a robust tree up to 15 metres. The trunk is covered in rough, brown, furrowed bark.Flora of Australia Online|name="Grevillea striata"|id=3004] The leaves are long, narrow and straplike, 10 to 45 cm long and up to 1 cm wide. cite web |url=http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=gn&name=Grevillea~striata |title= Grevillea striata |accessdate=2007-08-16 |format= |work= PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online ]
Creamy-yellow flowers are produced in cylindrical spikes predominantly from August to December in Australia (late winter to early summer) although they may appear at other times of the year.These are followed by woody, beaked seed capsules which are about 1.5 cm long.
It is a long-lived tree. In
New South Wales , a tree still stands which bears an inscription in memory of a member ofCharles Sturt 's expedition in 1845. James Poole, having died ofscurvy , was buried near the Beefwood tree at Preservation Creek near Milparinka, and an inscription "JP 1845" was carved into the tree.cite book|author=Moore P.|year=2005|title=Plants of Inland Australia|publisher=Reed New Holland|id=ISBN 187633486X]Taxonomy
The species was first formally described by botanist Robert Brown in 1810.
Distribution
It occurs as scattered trees in open "
Eucalyptus " or "Acacia " woodland and also in "Triodia" - shrubland communities.Uses
Sap from the tree was used by
aborigine s as a cement and for medicinal purposes. Due to its durability and the fact that it splits readily, the timber was used in the past for fence posts andshingle s. It is known as Beefwood due to the intense red colour of its heartwood.cite book|author=Wiltshire, D.& Schmidt, M.| title=Field guide to the common plants of the Cooper Basin|publisher=Santos | year=2003 | url =http://www.santos.com/library/plants.pdf| id=ISBN 1875568042]References
External links
*APNI|name = "Grevillea striata"|id = 9445
*FloraBase|name="Grevillea striata"|id=2099
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