Grevillea venusta
Encyclopedia
Grevillea venusta, commonly known as the Byfield Spider Flower, is a woody shrub of the Proteaceae
family native to a small region of central Queensland
in eastern Australia
. It has bright green leaves and unusually coloured green, gold and blackish inflorescence
s.
in 1811 after he collected the type specimen near Cape Townsend in Queensland in August 1802. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin
venustus "charming, lovely or graceful".
s are 5-9 cm (2-3.5 in) high and terminal (appearing at the end of branchlets). Each blooms is made up of 12-20 individual flowers, which are green at the base, with gold and then purple-black styles covered with short white hairs. The seedpods which follow are greenish and measure 1.6-1.9 x 0.8 cm.
and Shoalwater Bay
, and is classified as vulnerable by the Australian government. It grows on sandy soils on ridges and in dry eucalypt forests.
, after being bred with Grevillea glossadenia
, and of Grevillea 'Firesprite', after being bred with Grevillea longistyla
.
Proteaceae
Proteaceae is a family of flowering plants distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. The family comprises about 80 genera with about 1600 species. Together with the Platanaceae and Nelumbonaceae they make up the order Proteales. Well known genera include Protea, Banksia, Embothrium, Grevillea,...
family native to a small region of central Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
in eastern 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...
. It has bright green leaves and unusually coloured green, gold and blackish inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s.
Taxonomy
It was described by Robert BrownRobert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
in 1811 after he collected the type specimen near Cape Townsend in Queensland in August 1802. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
venustus "charming, lovely or graceful".
Description
Grevillea venusta is a spreading shrub which may reach 5 m (15 ft) high and wide. The branchlets are brownish and hairy, and the bright green leaves are up to 19 cm (7.5 in) long. They may be simple and 1-2 cm wide, or forked into two or more lobes. Flowering occurs from autumn to spring, the unusually coloured cylindrical inflorescenceInflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s are 5-9 cm (2-3.5 in) high and terminal (appearing at the end of branchlets). Each blooms is made up of 12-20 individual flowers, which are green at the base, with gold and then purple-black styles covered with short white hairs. The seedpods which follow are greenish and measure 1.6-1.9 x 0.8 cm.
Distribution and habitat
It is restricted to Central Queensland in the vicinity of Byfield National ParkByfield National Park
Byfield is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 35 km north of Yeppoon....
and Shoalwater Bay
Shoalwater Bay
Shoalwater Bay is a large bay on the central coast of Queensland, Australia, located 100 km north of the coastal town of Yeppoon and 628 km north-north-west of the state capital, Brisbane. Since 1966, the land surrounding Shoalwater Bay has been under the ownership of the Australian Defence Force,...
, and is classified as vulnerable by the Australian government. It grows on sandy soils on ridges and in dry eucalypt forests.
Cultivation
This has been cultivated since the early 1970s and is suitable for use in small gardens, where it grows readily in a sunny position with good drainage. It is frost hardy and tolerates humidity. It is a parent of two commonly seen cultivars, Grevillea 'Orange Marmalade'Grevillea 'Orange Marmalade'
Grevillea 'Orange Marmalade' is a grevillea cultivar. It is a cross between G. glossadenia and G. venusta....
, after being bred with Grevillea glossadenia
Grevillea glossadenia
Grevillea glossadenia is a woody shrub native to northeastern Australia. It was described by Australian botanist Don McGillivray in 1975.-Cultivation:...
, and of Grevillea 'Firesprite', after being bred with Grevillea longistyla
Grevillea longistyla
Grevillea longistyla is a large shrub which is native to south-east Queensland in Australia.It has orange to red flowers; long, narrow leaves and grows to 3 to 4 metres in height and 2 to 3 metres in width.-References:*...
.