Grevillea alpina | |
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Grevillea alpina in southern Victoria | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Proteales |
Family: | Proteaceae |
Genus: | Grevillea |
Species: | G. alpina |
Binomial name | |
Grevillea alpina | |
Synonyms | |
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Grevillea alpina is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae. It has several common names, including mountain grevillea, alpine grevillea, and cat's claws. It is endemic to Australia. It is not limited to alpine environments, and in fact is less common at high elevation than low. The species is variable in appearance, with five general forms described: small-flowered, Grampians, Northern Victorian, Goldfields, and Southern Hills forms. It is found in dry forests and woodlands across Victoria and into southern New South Wales. Some forms of the plant are low to the ground, and some become a spreading shrub. The flowers come in many colours, from white to green to shades of red and pink, or a pattern of several colours. The curled flowers are 1 to 3 centimetres (0.39 to 1.18 in) in length. It is attractive to nectar-feeding insects and birds.
There is considerable variation in the form, leaves and flowers of the species. Plants are between 0.3 and 2 metres (0.98 and 6.56 ft) in height. The leaves may be linear, oblong or elliptic and are generally between 0.5 and 2 centimetres (0.20 and 0.79 in) long and 1.5 to 4 millimetres (0.059 to 0.157 in) wide. Both surfaces of leaves may or may not have hairs. The leaf edges may be curved backwards or revolute. [2]
Flower colour is one of the most variable characteristics. The main colour of the perianth may be red, orange or pink or more rarely yellow or cream. There is often a transition of colour along the length of the perianth leading to commonly seen red-yellow or red-cream combinations. The main months of flowering are from August to December in the species' native range. [3] The flowers are followed by hairy, leathery, ovoid fruits (follicles) that are between 8.5 and 12 millimetres (0.33 and 0.47 in) long. [4] These split open, releasing winged seeds. [3]
The species was first formally described in 1838 by English botanist John Lindley in Three expeditions into the interior of Australia. This description was based on plant material collected from Mount William in the Grampians during Thomas Mitchell's expedition in 1836. [5]
In the Flora of Australia (1999), the species was positioned within the genus Grevillea by means of a hierarchical tree as follows:
Grevillea (genus)
Grevillea alpina is widespread in Victoria extending from Melbourne northwards into New South Wales through Albury and as far north as Canberra where it is found on Black Mountain. Its westernmost extent is found in the Grampians in Victoria. [6] It occurs in woodland, heathland and mallee.
In The Grevillea Book published in 1995, the authors Peter Olde and Neil Marriott identified five informal forms:
Naturally occurring hybrids have been recorded with G. lavandulacea . G. dryophylla and G. obtecta . [5] In New Zealand, hybrids with Grevillea rosmarinifolia have become naturalised. [8]
Honeyeaters are believed to be the major pollinators. Honey bees have been observed feeding on the nectar, but are able to do so without touching the pollen presenter. [9]
Grevillea alpina is listed as "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It has a wide distribution, its population is assumed to be stable and there are no major threats to this species. [1]
The species was first introduced to cultivation in England in 1856 and by 1858 was in cultivation at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne. [6] Though widely grown, it has a reputation for being short lived. This problem, which is accentuated in humid climates with summer rainfall, has been addressed by grafting on various rootstocks. G. alpina grows best in dry environments and does not tolerate excess moisture well. Regular pruning from a young age will encourage denser growth and reduce woodiness. [6]
Plants are readily propagated from pre-treated seed, though seed sourced from gardens often leads to hybrid progeny. [6] The species hybridises readily with Grevillea rosmarinifolia , Grevillea juniperina and Grevillea lavandulacea . The use of cuttings is the preferred method of propagation for assuring that particular forms and cultivars are true to type. [10]
In 2003, it was reported that the fungal disease Phytophthora palmivora had been detected in plant nurseries in Sicily, leading to root rot and death of potted Grevillea cultivars. Of these plants of Grevillea alpina were the most severely affected. [11]
A large number of hybrid cultivars and selected forms have been introduced to horticulture including:
Numerous naturally occurring forms have been named after the locality from which they originate including Albury, Axedale, Bendigo, Black Mountain, Castlemaine, Chiltern, Grampians, Greta West, Kinglake, Lerderderg Gorge, Morrl Morrl, Mt Dandenong, Mt Ida, Mt Pleasant, Mt Slide, Mt Zero, Murphys Hill, One Tree Hill, Porcupine Ridge, Pyalong, Reef Hills, Rushworth, Seymour, South Mandurang, St Arnaud, Strathbogies, Tallarook, Tamminack Gap, Tawonga Gap, Tooborac, Warby Range, Whorouly and Wombat State Forest. [5]
Grevillea rosmarinifolia, commonly known as rosemary grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia and naturalised in other parts of the country. It is usually an erect, compact to open shrub with linear, narrowly elliptic or narrowly oblong leaves with the edges rolled under, and loose clusters of pink to red flowers.
Grevillea banksii, commonly known as Banks' grevillea, Byfield waratah, red flowered silky oak and dwarf silky oak, and in Hawaii as kāhili flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It is an erect shrub or slender tree with divided leaves with four to twelve narrow lobes, and creamy white to bright scarlet and yellow flowers.
Grevillea aquifolium is a shrubby or scrambling plant endemic to South Australia and Victoria. Common names include holly grevillea, prickly grevillea or variable prickly grevillea. It occurs naturally in woodland, open forest and heathland.
Grevillea lanigera, commonly known as woolly grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a spreading shrub with narrowly oblong to more or less linear leaves and clusters of pink to red, and cream-coloured flowers.
Grevillea humifusa, commonly known as spreading grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate shrub with long, trailing stems, divided lives with linear lobes and clusters of pink to pale red and cream-coloured flowers with a reddish, yellow-tipped style.
Grevillea juniperina, commonly known as juniper- or juniper-leaf grevillea or prickly spider-flower, is a plant of the family Proteaceae native to eastern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland in Australia. Scottish botanist Robert Brown described the species in 1810, and seven subspecies are recognised. One subspecies, G. j. juniperina, is restricted to Western Sydney and environs and is threatened by loss of habitat and housing development.
Grevillea mucronulata, also known as green spider flower or green grevillea, is a species of flowering plant of the family Proteaceae and is endemic to New South Wales in Australia. Described by Robert Brown in 1810, it is found in open sclerophyll forest or woodland around the Sydney region and New South Wales south coast. It grows as a small bush to 3 m (9.8 ft) high and wide, with variable foliage and greenish flowers that appear over the cooler months from May to October. The flowers are attractive to birds.
Grevillea victoriae, also known as royal grevillea or mountain grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to mountainous regions of south-eastern continental Australia. It is an erect to spreading shrub with elliptic to lance-shaped leaves, and pendulous clusters of red to orange flowers.
Grevillea lavandulacea, commonly known as lavender grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is a prostrate to spreading shrub with linear to elliptic leaves and clusters of pink to red flowers.
Grevillea caleyi, also known as Caley's grevillea, is a critically endangered species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to a restricted area around the Terrey Hills and Belrose area in New South Wales. It is an open, spreading shrub, growing up to 4 m (13 ft) tall with deeply divided leaves with linear lobes, and fawn flowers with a maroon to red style.
W Tree is a small town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Gelantipy Road, in the Shire of East Gippsland's high country near the Snowy River. The valley is located on Gunnai/Kurnai land.
Grevillea agrifolia, the blue grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is native to the north of Western Australia and parts of the Northern Territory. It is a shrub or tree with narrowly oblong leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and creamy-yellow flowers.
Grevillea johnsonii, commonly known as Johnson's grevillea or Johnson's spider flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a shrub with divided, needle-like leaves and red to orange flowers, and grows in rocky places.
Grevillea parvula , commonly known as Genoa grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to an area near the border between New South Wales and Victoria in south-eastern continental Australia. It is a spreading to erect shrub, usually with elliptic leaves, and down-turned clusters of pinkish to red flowers.
Grevillea floribunda, commonly known as seven dwarfs grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a spreading shrub with oblong to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and groups of six to twenty flowers covered with rusty brown hairs.
Grevillea kedumbensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to a restricted locale in the Great Dividing Range in central New South Wales in Australia. It is a twiggy shrub with narrowly elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and clusters of hairy green to cream-coloured flowers.
Grevillea obtusiflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to a small area of eastern New South Wales. It is a low, spreading to erect shrub with many stems, narrowly elliptic to oblong or linear to narrowly egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and pinkish-red and cream-coloured flowers with a red style.
Grevillea lanigera 'Mt Tamboritha' is a cultivar of the genus Grevillea, planted widely in Australia and other countries for its ornamental foliage and flowers. It is the most popular form of Grevillea lanigera in cultivation. It is also known by the names 'Mt Tamboritha form', 'Compacta', 'Prostrate', 'Prostrate Form' or the misnomer 'Mt Tambourine'.
Grevillea rhizomatosa, commonly known as Gibraltar grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of north-eastern New South Wales. It is a spreading, bushy shrub with egg-shaped to almost round leaves and small clusters of green and pinkish-red flowers.