Grevillea chrysophaea, commonly known as Golden Grevillea, is a shrub which is endemic

Endemic (ecology)

Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...

 to Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

 in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

.

Description

This species is a spreading, or occasionally prostrate, shrub and ranges between 0.3 and 2.5 metres in height. Its leaves are entire, oblong-elliptic to linear, and are 1.5 to 6 cm long and 3 to 15 mm in width. The flowers range in colour from a dull to golden yellow and have a red to orange-red style. They are most prolific between early winter and early summer.

Distribution

The species occurs in eucalypt

Eucalypt

Eucalypts are woody plants belonging to three closely related genera:Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora.In 1995 new evidence, largely genetic, indicated that some prominent Eucalyptus species were actually more closely related to Angophora than to the other eucalypts; they were split off into the...

 or banksia

Banksia

Banksia is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones" and heads. When it comes to size, banksias range from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up...

 woodland in the Brisbane Ranges and in Gippsland

Gippsland

Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...

 in southern Victoria.
It is listed as "Rare in Victoria" on the Department of Sustainability and Environment's Advisory List of Rare Or Threatened Plants In Victoria.

Taxonomy

Named forms include:

• 'Brisbane Ranges form'
• 'Gippsland
  Gippsland
  Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...
  
   form'
• 'Holey Plains form'

The form described as Grevillea chrysophaea var. canescens H.B.Will. is not currently recognised as a separate variety. It is procumbent and compact and has smaller flowers but produces them in greater numbers.The type specimen was collected at Sperm Whale Head.

The variant previously known as Grevillea sp. aff. chrysophaea or Grevillea aff. chrysophaea (Nowa Nowa) is currently regarded as a separate species, Grevillea celata

Grevillea celata

Grevillea celata is a shrub which is endemic to Victoria, Australia. It is closely related to Grevillea alpina and Grevillea chrysophaea....

Molyneux.

Cultivation

Plants are best suited to coastal or mountain environments (within Australia) and prefer light, moist soils in a protected situation.

Propagation is from seed or cuttings, although the latter are difficult to strike.