Monday, July 16, 2012

Grevillea floribunda ssp floribunda

Grevillea floribunda subsp. floribunda

Family: Proteaceae

Common name: Seven Dwarfs Grevillea

Flowers: Inflorenscences hold 6 to 20 flowers. 4 segments of the flower form a tube rolling back to expose the flower parts. The pink to red style protrudes before being fully released.  The outside of the flower is covered in dense rusty-orange hairs. The end of the style (known as the stigmatic disc) carries pollen which is rubbed off by the pollinating agent. The disc then becomes sticky and receptive to pollen from another flower. The seed pod is 'boat shaped', covered in short pale grey hairs, with a curved tail. Main flowering period is spring, but flowers can occur at other times of the year.

Stem and leaves: Stems are pale grey-green covered in grey hairs giving a silvery appearance.  Leaves are alternate, up to 8cm long and 1.5cm wide, pale grey-green and covered in downy grey hairs.

Habit: A shrub from 0.5mt to 2mt in height, from sparse and spindly to reasonably dense.

Habitat: In the Pilliga Forests I have seen Grevillea floribunda subsp. floribunda growing at the edges of woodland. It grows west of the Great Divide in NSW, but not in desert country. It is also recorded as growing in Vic.
Grevillea floribunda subsp. floribunda

Pollen undisturbed (pollen on right has been collected)

Silver-green alternate leaves

Seed capsule covered in silver-grey hairs

Habit and habitat of G. floribunda ssp floribunda

More information: