Family: Proteaceae
Grevillea pterosperma
Citation:
F. Muell., Trans. Phil. Soc. Vic. 1:22 (1854).
Synonymy: Not Applicable Common name: Desert grevillea, desert spider-flower.
Description:
Rounded shrub to 4 m diam.; branchlets persistently appressed-pubescent; leaves erect, narrow-linear, 6-21 cm X c. 1-1.5 mm, ?very rarely pinnatipartite, appressed-tomentose, glabrescent, dark- to grey-green, smooth or longitudinally ribbed above, with 2 grooves between the recurved margins and midrib below, mucro slender, straight.
Racemes axillary or terminal, simple, enclosed when young in caducous membranous bracts, with c. 60-100 white flowers; rhachis, pedicel and perianth externally appressed-tomentose, the perianth sparsely so, rhachis 7.5-12 cm long including the long peduncle; pedicel 1.5-3.5 mm long; torus slightly oblique; perianth 2.5-3.5 mm long, greatly reflexed below the globular limb, splitting into 4 free segments; gland semi-annular; gynophore appressed-tomentose, as long as the hirsute ovary; style curved, 9-13 mm long (straightened), glabrous; pollen-presenter an oblique broad convex disc narrowing into a short cone.
Fruit somewhat compressed, broad-ellipsoid, 15-22 mm long, laterally and obliquely inserted on a short stout stipe, woody, tomentose, glabrescent, with style base persistent, short, lateral, oblique.
| Grevillea pterosperma, twig, upper and lower surface of leaves and section, flower, pistil and fruit.
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Image source: fig 70d in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).
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Published illustration:
Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 212.
Distribution:
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In deep sands, often of dunes and on kopi mounds (sand overlying gypsum), in sclerophyllous shrublands and woodlands.
S.Aust.: NW, LE, NU, GT, FR, EP, MU, SE. W.Aust.; N.S.W.; Vic.
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Conservation status:
native
Flowering time: Sept. — Feb.
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SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia
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Biology:
No text
Author:
Not yet available
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