'''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. 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'.
Species
:''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 Caledonia
while ''
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
★
ABRS Flora of Australia online: ''Grevillea''
External links
★
The Grevillea Page of
ASGAP
★
The Illawarra Grevillea Park Page
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