Grevillea cyranostigma
Encyclopedia
Grevillea cyranostigma, commonly known as the Carnarvon grevillea or Green grevillea, is a shrub species that is endemic to Queensland
in Australia
. It was first formally described by Don McGillivray
in 1975. He named it cyranostigma after Edmond Rostand
's Cyrano de Bergerac
, as its long stigma was reminiscent of the character's protruding nose. The type specimen was collected between 1890 and 1895 by Harriette Biddulph of Mount Playfair Station, who was known for her collection of plants from the Carnarvon Range
. The species appears to be related to Grevillea sericea
and G. victoriae
, and is distinguished by glossier leaves than the former and a less hairy perianth than both.
Grevillea cyranostigma grows as a many-branched spreading shrub reaching 0.5 to 2 m (20 in to 7 ft) high. It has simple glossy leaves that are roughly oblong and are 2–5.5 cm (0.8–2.2 in) long and 0.5–1.1 cm (0.2–0.4 in) wide. The pale green flowers appear in winter and spring from June to October. Each is an inflorescence
composed of several individual flowers, with pistils that are 16 to 17.5 mm long. The flowers are followed by the development of oval follicles
14–15 mm in length.
The species is restricted to the Carnarvon Range in Central Queensland, where it is found on rocky slopes on sandstone soils in dry sclerophyll
forest. It is classified as 3RC, as it is protected in Carnarvon National Park.
Grevillea cyranostigma has been grown in gardens in Brisbane and Melbourne and appears to adapt readily to cultivation, although does not tolerate extended dry periods. It has been mainly cultivated by collectors and enthusiasts of grevilleas.
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 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 was first formally described by Don McGillivray
Donald McGillivray
Donald John McGillivray in New South Wales, Australia, and is usually known as D.J. McGillivray. He is an Australian botanical taxonomist...
in 1975. He named it cyranostigma after Edmond Rostand
Edmond Rostand
Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism, and is best known for his play Cyrano de Bergerac. Rostand's romantic plays provided an alternative to the naturalistic theatre popular during the late nineteenth century...
's Cyrano de Bergerac
Cyrano de Bergerac (play)
Cyrano de Bergerac is a play written in 1897 by Edmond Rostand. Although there was a real Cyrano de Bergerac, the play bears very scant resemblance to his life....
, as its long stigma was reminiscent of the character's protruding nose. The type specimen was collected between 1890 and 1895 by Harriette Biddulph of Mount Playfair Station, who was known for her collection of plants from the Carnarvon Range
Carnarvon Range
The Carnarvon Range is a mountain range in Central Queensland, Australia. It is a plateau section of the Great Dividing Range. The Carnarvon Range is 160 km in length. It was first explored by Ludwig Leichhardt but named by Thomas Mitchell after the 4th Earl of Carnarvon.North eastern parts of...
. The species appears to be related to Grevillea sericea
Grevillea sericea
Grevillea sericea is a shrub endemic to New South Wales, Australia.-Description:It grows as a shrub from half a metres to two metres tall. It has angular, ridged branchlets and oval shaped leaves one to five centimetres long and two to nine millimetres wide.long, straight leaves from three to...
and G. victoriae
Grevillea victoriae
Grevillea victoriae, also known as Royal Grevillea or Mountain Grevillea, is a shrub which is endemic to south-eastern New South Wales and mountainous parts of Victoria in Australia.-Description:...
, and is distinguished by glossier leaves than the former and a less hairy perianth than both.
Grevillea cyranostigma grows as a many-branched spreading shrub reaching 0.5 to 2 m (20 in to 7 ft) high. It has simple glossy leaves that are roughly oblong and are 2–5.5 cm (0.8–2.2 in) long and 0.5–1.1 cm (0.2–0.4 in) wide. The pale green flowers appear in winter and spring from June to October. Each is an 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...
composed of several individual flowers, with pistils that are 16 to 17.5 mm long. The flowers are followed by the development of oval follicles
Follicle (fruit)
In botany, a follicle is a dry unilocular many-seeded fruit formed from one carpel and dehiscing by the ventral suture in order to release seeds, such as in larkspur, magnolia, banksia, peony and milkweed....
14–15 mm in length.
The species is restricted to the Carnarvon Range in Central Queensland, where it is found on rocky slopes on sandstone soils in dry sclerophyll
Sclerophyll
Sclerophyll is the term for a type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short internodes . The word comes from the Greek sclero and phyllon ....
forest. It is classified as 3RC, as it is protected in Carnarvon National Park.
Grevillea cyranostigma has been grown in gardens in Brisbane and Melbourne and appears to adapt readily to cultivation, although does not tolerate extended dry periods. It has been mainly cultivated by collectors and enthusiasts of grevilleas.