Grevillea speciosa | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Proteales |
Family: | Proteaceae |
Genus: | Grevillea |
Species: | G. speciosa |
Binomial name | |
Grevillea speciosa | |
Grevillea speciosa, commonly known as red spider flower, [3] is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the Central Coast of New South Wales. It is an erect shrub with elliptic to egg-shaped or more or less circular leaves and more or less spherical, downturned clusters of red flowers.
Grevillea speciosa is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.4–3 m (1 ft 4 in – 9 ft 10 in), its branchlets covered with silky to shaggy hairs. The leaves are elliptic to egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, or more or less circular, mostly 10–40 mm (0.39–1.57 in) long and 4–12 mm (0.16–0.47 in) wide with the edges turned down. The lower surface of the leaves is silky to softly-hairy. The flowers are arranged in large, downturned, dome-shaped to spherical clusters 20–40 mm (0.79–1.57 in) long, the flowers red, rarely pink or very rarely cream-coloured. The pistil is 25–35 mm (0.98–1.38 in) long and the style is gently curved. Flowering mainly occurs from July to October, and the fruit is an elliptic to narrowly oval follicle 12–20 mm (0.47–0.79 in) long. [3] [4] [5] [6]
It is distinguishable from the similar Grevillea oleoides, mainly by its shorter, more ovate leaves. [7]
This species was first formally described in 1809 by Joseph Knight who gave it the name Lysanthe speciosa in On the cultivation of the plants belonging to the natural order of Proteeae . [8] In 1975, Donald McGillivray moved it to the genus Grevillea as Grevillea speciosa in the journal Telopea . [9] [10]
The specific epithet (speciosa) derives from Latin speciosus meaning "showy". [5] [7]
Red spider flower grows on ridgetops and hillsides in moist heath, low woodland and forest in sandy soil from Gosford, Kulnura and Bucketty to just south of Port Jackson on the central coast of New South Wales. [3] [4] [6]
Grevillea speciosa is listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It has an estimated population of 30,000-50,000 mature individuals and is likely declining due to increased urbanisation leading to habitat loss, as well as competition with invasive weeds and an increase in fire frequency and intensity. [1]
This species is available in many nurseries and is cultivated for its brightly-coloured, usually red flowers. Pink-flowered forms exist, and may be a result of hybridisation with other grevilleas.
It tolerates a wide variety of climates and can be grown in coastal or inland environments. It does best in a full-sun or part-shade position in either acidic or neutral sandy loam or clay soil that is well-drained but not too dry. [7]
Grevillea centristigma is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, compact to erect, rounded or spreading shrub with softly-hairy narrowly elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and deep yellow to orange flowers with a yellow, later brick-red style.
Grevillea glossadenia is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to Queensland, in northeastern Australia. It is an erect shrub with more or less elliptic leaves and deep yellow-orange to orange-red flowers.
Grevillea acerata, is a plant in the family Proteaceae and which is endemic to New South Wales. It is a spreading shrub with more or less linear leaves and groups of woolly cream-coloured to grey flowers in groups on the ends of the branches. It is similar to Grevillea sphacelata and is only known from the Gibraltar Range National Park and nearby Glen Elgin.
Grevillea diversifolia, the variable-leaved grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect to prostrate shrub with simple or divided leaves and groups white to cream-coloured flowers with a dull red style.
Grevillea oxyantha is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is an erect to spreading shrub with somewhat silky-hairy branchlets, broadly elliptic to broadly egg-shaped or almost round leaves, and hairy, crimson and pink flowers with a red style.
Grevillea callichlaena, commonly known as Mt. Benambra grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to a restricted part of Victoria in Australia. It is a spreading shrub with elliptic, egg-shaped or broadly lance-shaped leaves, and uniformly red flowers.
Grevillea epicroca is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to south-eastern New South Wales. It is a shrub with elliptic to lance-shaped leaves and red, silky-hairy flowers.
Grevillea diminuta is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a small, spreading shrub with elliptic to egg-shaped leaves and cylindrical to dome-shaped groups of reddish-brown flowers.
Grevillea cyranostigma, commonly known as Carnarvon grevillea or green grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the Carnarvon Range and adjacent areas of central Queensland. It is a spreading shrub with woolly-hairy to silky-hairy branchlets, narrowly oblong leaves, and pale green flowers.
Grevillea bemboka is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of far south-eastern New South Wales. It is a spreading to erect shrub with hairy branchlets, egg-shaped to elliptic leaves and red or reddish-pink flowers.
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 molyneuxii, commonly known as Wingello grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of south-eastern New South Wales. It is a spreading shrub with narrowly oblong or narrowly elliptic to linear leaves and cylindrical clusters of reddish flowers.
Grevillea wilkinsonii, commonly known as Tumut grevillea, is species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to a restricted part of the south-east of New South Wales. It is an erect, spreading shrub with narrowly oblong to oblong leaves with well-spaced teeth on the edges, and clusters of brownish-pink to purple flowers with a lilac-pink style with a pale yellow tip.
Grevillea aurea, commonly known as golden grevillea or Death Adder Gorge grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the Northern Territory in Australia. It is a tall, open shrub leaves that have nine to twenty-seven lobes or teeth, and flowers that are red at first, becoming orange-red to yellow as they age.
Grevillea brevis is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the Northern Territory. It is an erect, open shrub with elliptic leaves and white to yellow or creamy-green flowers.
Grevillea byrnesii is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to north-western Australia. It is a shrub with broadly egg-shaped leaves and orange flowers.
Grevillea granulifera is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to eastern New South Wales. It is a shrub with narrowly elliptic leaves and clusters of pinkish-red and creamy-white flowers.
Grevillea cheilocarpa is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to a restricted area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with silky-hairy, egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and yellow flowers.
Grevillea deflexa is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to inland areas of central Western Australia. It is a shrub with linear to elliptic or egg-shaped leaves, and groups of red, yellow or red and yellow flowers.
Grevillea diffusa is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the Sydney region of New South Wales. It is a low, compact shrub with elliptic to linear leaves, and dark red, or dark crimson to scarlet and burgundy-coloured flowers.