Grevillea speciosa
Encyclopedia
Grevillea speciosa, also known as Red Spider Flower, is a shrub
which is endemic to New South Wales
in Australia
.
and the surrounding area in moist areas within dry sclerophyll
woodland or heathland.
's 1793 A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland
as Embothrium sericeum var. major. In 1809 the plant was rediscovered, and Joseph Knight published it as Lysanthe speciosa, not realising that his material was attributable to Smith's E. sericeum var. major. In 1975 the species was transferred into Grevillea as G. speciosa. Smith's precedence would not be discovered until 2000.
Other synonyms include:
Grevillea speciosa subsp. oleoides (Sieber
ex Schult. & Schult.f.) McGill. is currently regarded as a species in its own right: Grevillea oleoides
Sieber ex Schult. & Schult.f.
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
which is endemic to New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
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 shrub, growing up to 3 metres in height. Its leaves are narrow-obovate to round or elliptic to narrow-elliptic . The flowers which are red, or occasionally pink, appear predominantly from late winter to late spring (August to November in Australia) but appear sporadically throughout the year.Distribution
The species occurs in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and the surrounding area in moist areas within 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 ....
woodland or heathland.
Taxonomy
The species was first formally described in James Edward SmithJames Edward Smith
Sir James Edward Smith was an English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society.Smith was born in Norwich in 1759, the son of a wealthy wool merchant. He displayed a precocious interest in the natural world...
's 1793 A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland
A specimen of the botany of New Holland
A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland, also known by its standard abbreviation Spec. Bot. New Holland, was the first published book on the flora of Australia. Written by James Edward Smith and illustrated by James Sowerby, it was published by Sowerby in four parts between 1793 and 1795...
as Embothrium sericeum var. major. In 1809 the plant was rediscovered, and Joseph Knight published it as Lysanthe speciosa, not realising that his material was attributable to Smith's E. sericeum var. major. In 1975 the species was transferred into Grevillea as G. speciosa. Smith's precedence would not be discovered until 2000.
Other synonyms include:
- Grevillea dubia R.Br.
- Grevillea punicea R.Br.
- Grevillea punicea var. crassifolia A.A.Ham.
- Grevillea punicea R.Br. var. punicea
Grevillea speciosa subsp. oleoides (Sieber
Franz Sieber
Franz Wilhelm Sieber , was a botanist and collector who travelled to Europe, the Middle East, Southern Africa and Australia.-Early Life:Franz Sieber was born in Prague, on 30 March 1789....
ex Schult. & Schult.f.) McGill. is currently regarded as a species in its own right: Grevillea oleoides
Grevillea oleoides
Grevillea oleoides, also known as Red Spider Flower is a shrub which is endemic to New South Wales in Australia.-Description:The species is an erect shrub, growing up to 3 metres in height. Its leaves are usually narrow-obovate and occasionally sublinear...
Sieber ex Schult. & Schult.f.