Grevillea robusta

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Silky oak
Silver Oak Coorg Karnataka Apr24 A7C 10438.jpg
Grevillea robusta in Coorg, India
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Grevillea
Species:
G. robusta
Binomial name
Grevillea robusta
Leaves and flowers Silky Oak (Grevillea robusta) JCB.jpg
Leaves and flowers
Stamen and pistil Yin Hua Grevillea robusta 20210411185712.jpg
Stamen and pistil

Grevillea robusta, commonly known as the southern silky oak, silk oak or silky oak, silver oak or Australian silver oak, [1] is a flowering plant in the family Proteaceae, and accordingly unrelated to true oaks, family Fagaceae. Grevillea robusta is a tree, and is the largest species in its genus. It is a native of eastern coastal Australia, growing in riverine, subtropical and dry rainforest environments.

Description

Grevillea robusta is a fast-growing evergreen tree with a single main trunk, growing to 5–40 m (20–100 ft) tall. The bark is dark grey and furrowed. Its leaves are fern-like, 10–34 cm (4–10 in) long, 9–15 cm (4–6 in) wide and divided with between 11 and 31 main lobes. Each lobe is sometimes further divided into as many as four, each one linear to narrow triangular in shape. It loses many of its leaves just before flowering. [2] [3] [4]

The flowers are arranged in one-sided, "toothbrush"-like groups, sometimes branched, 12–15 cm (5–6 in) long. The carpel (the female part) of each flower has a stalk 21–28 mm (0.8–1 in) long. The flowers are glabrous and mostly yellowish orange, or sometimes reddish. Flowering occurs from September to November and the fruit that follows is a glabrous follicle. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Grevillea robusta was first formally described in 1830 by Robert Brown after an unpublished description by Allan Cunningham. The type specimen was collected by Cunningham on the eastern edge of Moreton Bay in 1827. Brown's description was published in Supplementum primum Prodromi florae Novae Hollandiae . [5] [6] The specific epithet (robusta) is a Latin word meaning "strong like oak" or "robust". [7]

Distribution and habitat

Silky oak occurs naturally on the coast and ranges in southern Queensland and in New South Wales as far south as Coffs Harbour where it grows in subtropical rainforest, dry rainforest and wet forests. It is now relatively rare in its natural habitat but has been widely planted, including on Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island. It has become naturalised in many places, including on the Atherton Tableland in Australia and in South Africa, New Zealand, Hawaii, French Polynesia, Jamaica and Florida. It is regarded as a weed in parts of New South Wales and Victoria, as "invasive" in Hawaii and as an "invader" in South Africa. [1] [2] [8]

Uses

Before the advent of aluminium, Grevillea robusta timber was widely used for external window joinery, as it is resistant to wood rot. It has been used in the manufacture of furniture, cabinetry, and fences. Owing to declining G. robusta populations, felling has been restricted. [4]

Recently G. robusta has been used for side and back woods on guitars made by Larrivée and others, because of its tonal and aesthetic qualities.

Cultivation

When young, it can be grown as a houseplant where it can tolerate light shade, but it prefers full sun because it grows best in warm zones. If planted outside, young trees need protection on frosty nights. Once established it is hardier and tolerates temperatures down to −8 °C (18 °F). [9] It needs occasional water but is otherwise fairly drought-resistant. Care needs to be taken when planting it near bushland because it can be invasive. [10]

G. robusta is often used as stock for grafting difficult-to-grow grevilleas. It has been planted widely throughout the city of Kunming in south-western China, forming shady avenues.

G. robusta is grown in plantations in South Africa, [11] and can also be grown alongside maize in agroforestry systems. [12]

In the UK, G. robusta has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [13] [14]

Toxicity and allergic reactions

The flowers and fruit contain toxic hydrogen cyanide. [15] Tridecylresorcinol in G.robusta is responsible for contact dermatitis. [16]

Related Research Articles

<i>Grevillea longifolia</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to New South Wales, Australia

Grevillea longifolia, commonly known as fern-leaf spider flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the Sydney Basin in New South Wales. It is an erect to spreading shrub with narrowly egg-shaped to almost linear leaves, and toothbrush-like groups of pinkish-fawn flowers with a pink to red style. It is fairly readily grown in gardens.

<i>Orites excelsus</i> Species of tree in the family Proteaceae of northern New South Wales and southeast Queensland

Orites excelsus, commonly known as prickly ash, mountain silky oak or white beefwood, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a medium-sized to tall rainforest tree with oblong to lance-shaped leaves, variously lobed and with teeth on the edges. The flowers are white and arranged in leaf axils in spikes that are shorter than the leaves.

<i>Grevillea lanigera</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Victoria and New South Wales in Australia

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.

<i>Grevillea crithmifolia</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Western Australia

Grevillea crithmifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a dense shrub with linear leaves, divided leaves with narrowly oblong lobes, or both, and clusters of pale pink to creamy-white flowers.

<i>Grevillea caleyi</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Australia

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.

<i>Grevillea agrifolia</i> Species of plant in the family Proteaceae

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.

<i>Grevillea pectinata</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Western Australia

Grevillea pectinata, commonly known as comb-leaf grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with divided, comb-like leaves and mauve-pink to red and cream-coloured to yellow flowers with a red to deep pink style.

<i>Persoonia rigida</i> Species of flowering plant

Persoonia rigida, commonly known as the rigid-, hairy- or stiff geebung, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect to low-lying shrub with hairy young branchlets, lance-shaped to spatula-shaped leaves that are hairy when young, and yellow flowers borne in groups of up to twenty on a rachis up to 90 mm (3.5 in) long that continues to grow after flowering.

<i>Hakea tephrosperma</i> Species of plant

Hakea tephrosperma commonly known as hooked needlewood, is a shrub or small tree species in the family Proteaceae. It has cream flowers, needle-shaped leaves and is one of the taller species adaptable for dry to temperate locations.

<i>Grevillea floribunda</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to New South Wales and Queensland, Australia

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 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.

<i>Grevillea quercifolia</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Western Australia

Grevillea quercifolia, commonly known as the oak-leaf grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the protea family and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a straggly to sprawling shrub usually with pinnatifid or serrated leaves, and oval to cylindrical clusters of pale to deep pink flowers.

<i>Stenocarpus cunninghamii</i> Species of tree of the family Proteaceae native to the Northern Territory and Western Australia

Stenocarpus cunninghamii, commonly known as little wheel bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to northern Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with simple, narrow elliptic or lance-shaped adult leaves, groups of pale yellow or white flowers and woody, linear follicles.

<i>Grevillea triternata</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to New South Wales, Australia

Grevillea triternata is species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a dense, compact shrub with divided leaves, the end lobes sharply pointed, linear to narrowly triangular, and cylindrical clusters of white flowers with a cream-coloured to pale yellow style.

<i>Grevillea depauperata</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae native to Western Australia

Grevillea depauperata is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, dense, spreading shrub with oblong or egg-shaped leaves and clusters of red to orange flowers.

<i>Grevillea fasciculata</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Western Australia

Grevillea fasciculata is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, often spreading shrub with narrowly elliptic to more or less linear leaves and erect clusters of red and orange or orange and yellow flowers.

<i>Grevillea anethifolia</i> Species of shrub of the family Proteaceae that is endemic to Western Australia

Grevillea anethifolia, commonly known as spiny cream spider flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to continental Australia. It is an erect shrub with hairy branchlets, lobed leaves, the lobes sharply pointed, and white to pale yellow or cream-coloured flowers.

<i>Grevillea baxteri</i> Species of shrub of the family Proteaceae endemic to Western Australia

Grevillea baxteri, commonly known as the Cape Arid grevillea, is a flowering plant of the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect to spreading shrub with pinnatipartite leaves and greenish to fawn or creamy-orange flowers.

Grevillea cunninghamii is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the north of Western Australia. It is a shrub with egg-shaped leaves with sharply-pointed teeth on the edges, and clusters of red flowers.

<i>Grevillea angulata</i> Species of shrub of the family Proteaceae that is endemic to Western Australia

Grevillea angulata is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the Top End of the Northern Territory. It is a spreading to erect shrub with pinnatifid or toothed leaves and cream-coloured flowers.

References

  1. 1 2 "Grevillea robusta". Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Makinson, Robert O. "Grevillea robusta". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  3. 1 2 RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN   978-1405332965.
  4. 1 2 "Grevillea robusta". National Arboretum Canberra. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  5. ↑ "Grevillea robusta". APNI. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  6. ↑ Brown, Robert (1830). Supplementum primum Prodromi florae Novae Hollandiae. London. p. 24. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  7. ↑ Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 556.
  8. ↑ F.A. Zich; B.P.M Hyland; T. Whiffen; R.A. Kerrigan (2020). "Grevillea robusta". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants, Edition 8. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  9. ↑ "Silkoak (Robusta)". Garden Guides. Leaf Group. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  10. ↑ "Grevillea robusta (silky oak)". Invasive Species Compendium. CAB International. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  11. ↑ Overseas-grown Australian Timber Species Retrieved on 8 December 2008
  12. ↑ Jackson, N. (2000). "Tree pruning as a means of controlling water use in an agroforestry system in Kenya". Forest Ecology and Management. 126 (2): 133–152. doi:10.1016/S0378-1127(99)00096-1.
  13. ↑ "Grevillea robusta AGM". RHS Plant Finder. Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  14. ↑ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 43. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  15. ↑ Everist, S.L., Poisonous Plants of Australia, Angus & Robertson, 1974.
  16. ↑ Menz, J., Rossi, R., Taylor, W.C, Wall, L., Contact dermatitis from Grevillea "Robyn Gordon", Contact Dermatitis, Vol. 15, Iss. 3, pp 126-131, Apr 2006
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