Grevillea insignis

Grevillea insignis
Grevillea insignis subsp. insignis
(Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne)
Grevillea insignis subsp. elliotii
(Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Grevillea
Species:
G. insignis
Binomial name
Grevillea insignis

Grevillea insignis, commonly known as wax grevillea,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, bushy shrub with more or less oblong leaves with seven to seventeen sharply-pointed, triangular teeth, and more or less spherical or cylindrical clusters of cream-coloured flowers ageing to pink.

Description

Grevillea insignis is an erect, bushy shrub that typically grows to a height of 1–4 m (3 ft 3 in – 13 ft 1 in). Its leaves are more or less oblong, 29–90 mm (1.1–3.5 in) long and 20–40 mm (0.79–1.57 in) wide with seven to seventeen sharply-pointed triangular teeth or lobes 3–8 mm (0.12–0.31 in) long and wide. The flowers are cream-coloured, ageing to pink and are arranged in more or less spherical to cylindrical, sometimes branched clusters on a rachis 10–25 mm (0.39–0.98 in) long. The pistil is 11–20 mm (0.43–0.79 in) long, and the ovary is densely shaggy-hairy. Flowering occurs from June to December and the fruit is an oblong follicle 10–14 mm (0.39–0.55 in) long.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy

Grevillea insignis was first formally described in 1855 by Carl Meissner in Hooker's Journal of Botany and Kew Garden Miscellany based on material collected by James Drummond.[5][6] The specific epithet (insignis) means "remarkable" or "distinguished".[7]

In 1993, In 1994 Peter M. Olde and Neil R. Marriott described two subspecies of G. insignis in the journal Nuytsia and the names are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:[4]

  • Grevillea insignis subsp. elliotii Olde & Marriott.[8] differs from the autonym in having branchlets that are not glaucous and leaves with a wedge-shaped base with wider spaces between the lobes;[4][9][10]
  • Grevillea insignis Kippist ex Meisn. subsp. insignis[11] has glaucous branchlets and leaves with narrow bases and narrow spaces between the lobes.[4][12][13]

Distribution and habitat

Subspecies elliotii grows in woodland and shrubland in a restricted area east of Varley and subsp. insignis grows in mallee and heathy shrubland between Tammin, Nyabing and Tarin Rock.[9][10][12][13]

Conservation status

Subspecies insignis is listed as "not threatened"[12] but subsp. elliotii is classified as "Priority Three" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions,[9] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Grevillea insignis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Grevillea insignis". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  3. ^ "Grevillea insignis". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d Olde, Peter M.; Marriott, Neil R. (1993). "New species and taxonomic changes in Grevillea (Proteaceae: Grevilleoideae) from south-west Western Australia". Nuytsia. 9 (2): 283–287. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  5. ^ "Grevillea insignis". APNI. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  6. ^ Meisner, Carl (1855). Hooker, William Jackson (ed.). "New Proteaceae of Australia". Hooker's Journal of Botany and Kew Garden Miscellany. 7: 76. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  7. ^ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 224. ISBN 9780958034180.
  8. ^ "Grevillea insignis subsp. elliotii". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  9. ^ a b c "Grevillea insignis subsp. elliotii". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  10. ^ a b "Grevillea insignis subsp. elliotii". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  11. ^ "Grevillea insignis subsp. insignis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  12. ^ a b c "Grevillea insignis subsp. insignis". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  13. ^ a b "Grevillea insignis". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  14. ^ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 26 May 2022.