Grevillea
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 Grevillea banksii in flower
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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.
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[edit] Species
- This list is incomplete; for a complete list, see Wikispecies:Grevillea.
There are over 350 species which are endemic to Australia, including the following:
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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.
[edit] Uses
[edit] 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".
[edit] 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.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
 Grevillea banksii |
 G. candelabroides, Mingenew |
 Grevillea dielsiana |
 G. wickhamii aprica |
 G. rivularis |
